The moment soccer fanatics have been waiting for since South Africa 2010 has finally come; with only one week until the opening match on June 12th, people are beginning to be more and more excited about the World Cup. Brazil and Croatia will play the first match on the opening day.

Since the World Cup will take place in Brazil, the ball that will be used on the final match was named Brazuca after a survey that one million Brazilians participated in back in 2012 to choose the best name for the ball that was designed by Adidas. Brazuca means Brazilian or an informal term used by Brazilians to describe national pride in the Brazilian way of life. It was introduced to the public in 2012 by the Brazilians.

Soccer is one of the oldest sports of all time. For those who are fanatics and for FIFA itself; soccer or futboll is not just about kicking the ball and scoring, it is “much more than just a game. Its universal appeal means it has a unique power and reach which must be managed carefully. We believe that we have a duty to society that goes beyond football: to improve the lives of young people and their surrounding communities, to reduce the negative impact of our activities and to make the most we can of the positives.” the FIFA webpage, which is the site where you will find all the information for the upcoming matches and the players, not just the World Cup but all the events FIFA sponsors; it gives you the history and ranks of all the teams.

The amount of soccer fanatics is incredible around the world, former Black Knight soccer player, Ron Andre, shares with us that “the World Cup is the most exciting thing for a soccer player, or a soccer fan. It’s an amazing event, everyone comes together, we put all worries and troubles aside to enjoy the beautiful game.” Many soccer players, even if they do not belong to any official team here in Stamford, play in the fields of Cummings Beach. One of them being Joel Mendoza, 26, a soccer player in his native Honduras now plays every day at Cummings Beach, he says, “I will miss work, ask for them to give me vacation or something but I will not miss a game. I am rooting for Spain, they have to keep the cup. My friends and I have barbecues on big days and no one gets us up the couch, I can’t wait.”