NEW YORK-
This year’s World Cup will play out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and messaging apps like WhatsApp just as it progresses in stadiums from Sao Paulo to Rio De Janeiro.
Nearly 40 percent of Facebook’s 1.28 billion users are fans of soccer, better known as football outside of the U.S. and Australia. On Tuesday, the world’s biggest online social network is adding new features to help fans follow the World Cup – the world’s most widely viewed sporting event – which takes place in Brazil from June 12 to July 13.
Facebook users will be able to keep track of their favourite teams and players throughout the tournament in a special World Cup section, called “Trending World Cup.”
Available on the Web as well as mobile devices, the hub will include the latest scores, game highlights as well as a feed with tournament-related posts from friends, players and teams.
In addition, an interactive map will show where the fans of top players are located around the world. The company is also launching a page called FacebookRef, where fans can see commentary about the matches from “The Ref,” Facebook’s official tournament commentator.
