2014 World Cup Beginner’s Guide

Are you ready for the Super Bowl of soccer?? Actually, referencing the World Cup as the Super Bowl diminishes how large this event is world wide. Yes, there is a game called Futbol that’s bigger than America’s game.

In order to get you ready for the FIFA World Cup which kicks off June 12th in Brazil and runs through July 13th, I thought I would cover some of the basics  so that you can follow along, and maybe even drop in some commentary to impress with your friends.

Ok, first up, the  FIFA World Cup is actually a multiyear tournament. The culmination of which is the month-long finals that take place every four years like the Olympics.

The qualification phases took place over the last four years. Those phases break down to the final 31 spots, with the host country securing the 32nd spot. Benefits.

From there, the teams are divided into eight groups with four teams making up each group. The first two weeks are the groups facing off against each other to crown a winner and runner up. The teams continue to compete until the final two teams are left to play for the World Cup honors.

The last World Cup took place in South Africa in 2010 with Spain crowned as the winner. Over 3.2 billion people worldwide watched at least some of the tournament.

The clock in soccer doesn’t stop. Only at the end of each half. The ref is responsible for keeping up with time that is wasted when the ball is out of play or the team is a little too turned up celebrating a goal.

Now, who should you root for? Selecting the home team is always good, Team USA. But heads up, we’re in a difficult group. Our first match is on Monday, June 16th against Ghana whose knocked the U.S. out of the last two World Cup matches, soooo… Yeah.

I also tend to extend my vote to uniforms I like and teams with hot guys. Therefore, I take Brazil quite a bit – I love the colors. They’ve also won five of the last 19 World Cup tournaments so its a safe selection.

Hot guys you should pay attention to:

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo is EVERYTHING. He’s basically everybody’s Bae cause he’s cute and his skills are incredible. He’s 29, has a long time girlfriend, but he’s still nice to look at. 

Here are a couple more you should be on the look out for. That way while you’re cheering, it’ll be cause you have a reason. Even if it doesn’t have a lot to do with the tournament play.

photos via Extra Mustard