Are you excited for this summer’s FIFA World Cup? Some of the matches are being played right here at San Francisco Bay Stadium (Levi’s Stadium) in Santa Clara. With 48 teams playing across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, there is so much to enjoy. Your Library has great resources to help you learn more and have even more fun watching the games.
Here are some ways you can get ready to cheer on teams during the World Cup:
- Learn new languages: Want to cheer along with fans from around the world? Try Mango Languages. You can learn words to help you understand the chants, and songs from different countries.
- Read sports news and analysis: Follow your favorite teams and players with The Athletic. You can read interviews, updates, and expert opinions.
- Explore countries around the world: Curious about the places the teams come from? CultureGrams has maps, facts, history, and pictures to help you learn more about each country.
- Discover news from around the globe: See how newspapers and magazines in other countries are covering the World Cup. PressReader gives you access to publications from more than 120 countries in over 60 languages.
- Check out great sports books: Want to read inspiring sports stories? Explore our sports booklist for exciting reads.
Whether you’re watching the games at home or going to see them in person, these library resources can help you enjoy the World Cup even more. Have fun cheering for your favorite teams!
Fun World Cup Facts!
- The FIFA World Cup is the most-watched sporting event on Earth—more people watch it than the Olympics or the Super Bowl.
- The very first World Cup was held in 1930, and only 13 teams played. Today, 48 teams compete!
- The World Cup happens only once every four years, which makes each tournament extra special.
- This World Cup is the first one ever hosted by three countries at the same time: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
- Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara can hold more than 68,000 fans, so the cheering will be loud and exciting.
- Soccer players often run up to 7 miles during one match—that’s more than 25 laps around a track.
- The World Cup trophy is made of gold and weighs as much as a medium-sized watermelon.
- The fastest goal in World Cup history was scored in just 11 seconds.
- Fans around the world create cool chants, songs, and dances to support their teams. Some of these become famous worldwide.
- Each World Cup features a brand-new official soccer ball with special colors and designs inspired by the host countries.
