Facebook, Twitter, Google Score During World Cup 2014

Advertisement
By Associated Press | Updated: 21 June 2014 11:52 IST
Twitter and Facebook lit up in a World Cup frenzy this week as millions of people around the world took to social media to share in the ups and downs of the matches.

Defending champion Spain's stunning elimination Wednesday after a 2-0 defeat to Chile generated a lot of buzz, though not as much as the Cup's opening match between Brazil and Croatia.

Google, meanwhile, tracked more than 641 million World Cup-related searches. In the week leading up the U.S. team's game against Ghana on Monday, there were 10 times more searches for the World Cup in the U.S. than for the NBA Finals, which were in progress at the time.

Advertisement

(Also see: How to Watch Fifa World Cup 2014 Live on Your PC, Smartphone or Tablet)

Here's a look at how the World Cup fared online this week:

Tweet deluge
There were 4.9 million tweets sent out Monday during the U.S. team's match against Ghana. That compared with 12.2 million during the opening game last week between Brazil and Croatia, the most tweeted-about match so far. In comparison, there were 19.1 million tweets sent about this year's Oscars, but that was within a 12-hour window surrounding the award show. All 32 participating World Cup teams have Twitter accounts - latecomer Iran joined just in time last week as (at)TeamMeliIran.

Advertisement

The little guy
Notice anything different on Google Maps this week? Look a little closer. That's right, the little yellow guy that guides users through the Street View feature ("Pegman," as he's called), has been dressed up in black shorts and a white T-shirt and is holding a soccer ball. While you're at it, you can also look inside all the World Cup stadiums using Street View.

Who's talking on Facebook
Watching the U.S. beat Ghana on Monday, men aged 25 to 34 were posting about the match the most, followed by men ages 18 to 24, then men 35-44. Women between 25 and 34 came next. As for countries, the top 5 countries with the most posts were, in order, the U.S., Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand and England. In all, 10 million people generated 15 million "interactions" on Facebook, which include posts, comments, likes and shares.

(Also see: World Cup 2014 Interactions on Facebook Dwarf All Other Major Events)

Why Thailand, you ask, considering it's not in the tournament? The country's military junta, in an effort to "return happiness to the people," negotiated a deal with the tournament's broadcaster to allow all the games to be shown for free. Previously, the broadcaster had only planned to show 22 of the 64 matches for free.

Advertisement

(Also see: How to Watch Fifa World Cup 2014 Live Online or Offline)

Goals on Google?
Google is sharing some World Cup stats that look at what people are searching for during the matches. In anticipation of Saturday's Germany vs. Ghana game, for example people in Germany were searching for Ghana player Kevin Prince Boateng 20 percent more than for his brother Jerome Boateng - even though the Jerome plays for Germany.

Advertisement

Germans were also searching for caipirinhas more often than people in Brazil, perhaps because Brazilians already know how to concoct their national cocktail, made from cachaca, sugar and lime. In Brazil, which tied with Mexico on Tuesday, searches for a Mexican TV character called the Crimson Grasshopper soared after Mexico fans dressed as "El Chapulin Colorado" to support their team.

 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Oppo A7 Pro Confirmed to Launch on This Date: See Features, Design
  2. Poco X8 Power, X8 With 50-Megapixel Camera Debut in India: See Prices
  3. Alienware 15 Arrives on Flipkart: Is This the Ultimate Mid-Range Gaming Powerhouse?
  4. Xiaomi Power Bank 20000mAh 165W to Launch in India On This Day
  5. Tecno Pova 8 Pro 5G Tonino Lamborghini Limited Edition Unveiled
  6. Luna Band Goes on Sale Globally: Price in India, Features
  7. These Flagship Oppo Find X10 Series Phones Could Launch Soon in India
  8. Samsung Galaxy A27 Review
  9. Xiaomi Smart Band 11 Active With a 1.47-Inch Screen Debuts: See Price
  10. Krafton India Releases New Set of Redeem Codes
  1. IFA 2026: Lenovo Unveiled New IdeaPad, Yoga and ThinkBook Laptops
  2. IFA 2026: Nvidia RTX Spark PCs, Local AI Tools Announced With October Launch Planned
  3. WhatsApp Reportedly Rolling Out Third-Party AI Agent Chats to Android Users
  4. Luna Band Now Available Globally: Check Price in India, Specifications and Features
  5. Pocket Bitcoin Data Breach Exposes Personal and Financial Information of 5,411 Customers
  6. Google Pixel Watch 5 Stephen Curry Special Edition Goes on Sale: Price, Features and More
  7. IFA 2026: Noise Master Buds Open With Sound by Bose Technology Unveiled
  8. Binance Warns of Phishing Scam Targeting Crypto Users With Fake Account Security Alerts
  9. Oppo Find X10 Pro Max, Find X10 India Launch Seems Imminent as Phones Appear on Certification Site
  10. Xiaomi Smart Band 11 Active Launched With Up to 21 Days of Battery Life; Smart Band 11 Price, Features Revealed
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.