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The 2010 World Cup officially kicked off today and all the signs are that it will be the first tournament in which internet technologies are fully exploited.
On the web, the football frenzy has already begun, with social networking sites embracing the occasion to offer new services.
Twitter has launched an entire platform of widgets, real-time search and Top Tweets. The firm also added a "hashflags" function, to display small flags of competing nations when their name is tagged, or the image of a football for each #worldcup tag.
Meanwhile, Facebook has entered the tournament with its own offerings, including live match broadcasts for users in France, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Spain, UK and the U.S.
There's also a "Goal! Leaderboard" application to gauge the levels of support for each team in the competition through the scientifically sound "Like" button.
Internet search has been at the centre of any World Cup related online activity, with fans across the world searching for information about the tournament as the first kick-off approaches.
Research by Experian Hitwise found that one in every 150 search terms typed into a search engine in the UK related to the World Cup, while injured England captain Rio Ferdinand was the most searched for footballer in the home of the three lions.
Portuguese winker Cristiano Ronaldo was the most popular player search around the world.
Robin Goad, research director at Experian Hitwise added: "The official FIFA website has been the biggest recipient of World Cup related searches in the run up to the event, but it will be overtaken by other sites once the tournament gets under way."
However, the popularity of the internet for watching games has led several network firms to warn that corporate networks could feel the strain of employees heading online, notably during England games.
11 Jun 2010
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