Russia 2018…
The 2018 FIFA World Cup starts next Thursday, June 14, in Russia. Soccer is the biggest sport on earth, and a worldwide tournament is held every four years, just like the Olympics. Russia will play host to the 21st World Cup and the first to be held in Eastern Europe.
Soccer is still behind many sports here in the U.S. but it’s quickly becoming the favorite sport of many. Let’s take a look at the FIFA World Cup by the numbers. (Info provided by FIFA and KTVU)
21: This is the 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup. The men’s tournament is played every four years and has been since 1930 with two exceptions: It was not played in 1942 and 1946 due to World War II.
3.2 BILLION: The entire audience for 2014 FIFA World Cup Final in Brazil reached an astounding 3.2 billion people. That’s close to half the world population.
24.7 MILLION: On June 22, 2014, The U.S. Men’s National team played Portugal in a group stage match and 24.7 million people watched it, making it the most watched soccer match in U.S. history.
171: That’s the total number of goals scored in the 2014 World Cup, tied for the most all-time, set in France in 1998.
32.1 MILLION: Total number of tweets sent out during the 2014 World Cup final. It was the most discussed single sporting event of all-time on Twitter.
7.2 BILLION: USD in tax revenue was received by Brazil as a result of investments in the 2014 World Cup.
3.4 MILLION: was the total attendance for the 64 matches, the highest recorded at any World Cup since USA 1994. The average crowd of 53,592 was also the highest in two decades.
3,240: Adidas soccer balls, including both training and match balls, were used during the tournament.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup begins June 14 on FOX.
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