5 Reasons We’re Jazzed About the World Cup

The whole world is talking about The 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and for good reason. It’s a non-stop month-long party filled with passion, drama, and a slew of other goodies for the casual soccerfan! Here are just a few reasons we are FREAKING OUT about the 2014 World Cup:

1. The Official and Unofficial Anthems Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull have a serious hit on their hands with the tournament’s official 2014 anthem, “We Are One (Ole Ola).” The song has already racked up over 86 million views on YouTube in less than a month.

Not to be outdone, Shakira, the former official anthem singer of two World Cups in a row, released “Dare (la la la)” a week after J. Lo. Her song? It has over 109 million views.

Other songs that just get you dancing in the streets for international unity and competition include K’Naan’s jam, “Wavin Flag,” Chumbawumba’s ever-appropriate “Tubthumping,” “All Night” by Icona Pop, and Shakira’s 2010 anthem, “Waka Waka.” Happy dancing!

2. The Fanfare

Soccer fans are the most intense fans in the world. Imagine it’s 1996 and Space Jam has just been announced as the official USA team for an international b-ball tournament. YOU’D. BE. STOKED. Well that’s how excited many countries are for their respective teams. The Lebron James and Dwayne Wade of the World Cup are essentially Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Even though we’re a little slow, here in the States, to support the LA Galaxy and soccer as a whole, you can still head to a local pub and get into the spirit by painting your face for a different country’s team.

3. A Month of Gorgeous Eye-Candy

While I already introduced Mr. Ronaldo (see above), there are loads of other good-looking soccer dudes to ogle. Olivier Giroud from France, Alexis Sanchez from Chile, and Neymar from Team Brazil serve up some serious cuteness.

4. Soccer Movies for Losing Teams

There’s no guarantee that your team is going to do well, but there’s no reason to fret! There are so many good soccer movies to keep you in the mood for other matches. The Big Green is a classic 90s movie about a rambunctious group of youngsters working together to win a championship. Bend it Like Beckham is not only Keira Knightley’s first major role, but also a great girl-power soccer film! Plan a chill hangout with your lady friends, pop some popcorn, and get in the game!

5. Social Media — Obviously!

The World Cup is like a super focused midterm Olympics. We get to see the world compete with fandoms that run through bloodlines. Social Media outlets aren’t oblivious to the fact that this is all we’ll be talking about for the next month. In fact, it is predicted that this World Cup will set the record for “most posted about sporting event” in the internet’s history. Twitter is fully immersed in the festivities, with game times, live scores, and of course, the option to change your avatar in support of your team. Facebook trends will, no doubt, be flooded with updates about teams, players, and entertainment in Brazil. FOMO is real, people! Watch the games and tell the world.

Are you watching the World Cup this year? What team are you rooting for?

Images courtesy of WorldCupDaily, Shutterstock and Mashable.