The best apps to follow the 2018 World Cup in Russia
Due to the schedules, many matches of the Cup will have to be followed by smart devices. Here we recommend the best applications not to miss the action.
Every four years it happens. We hear the goal cry in the distance and run to ask what happened. The World Cup is, in addition to a sports party, stress if you do not have a TV nearby. But in the article and with the actual technology, you will find the solution to this problem.
We tested dozens of applications, and all have advantages and disadvantages, but with so much supply in the market, we reduced the options taking into account what most matters to us during the World Cup: watch it live, quickly get the results and, when there is free time, review the videos, the news, and the best reports.
FIFA
It is mandatory due to its official nature. Each World Cup, the FIFA application receives criticism, because its design is fundamental, but essentially fulfills what it promises: that you are aware of what happens in Russia 2018.
Once you download it to your mobile, it gives you the opportunity to personalize the information. Suppose you deleted your selection, but you want to receive results from another competitor because in the “favorites” section there is the option.
The presentation is clean and attractive, although, as expected, there is a lot of publicity. You can navigate far and wide with your thumb.
The newsstand out, the tournament calendar with the matches and their schedules, the leaderboards and a very interesting “Fan Zone”, where, among other things, you can play a “Fantasy”, like the UEFA of the League of Champions The prizes for the winner are attractive, from a car of the year to a bracelet signed by the selected team.
The photos and videos are of perfect resolution. Obviously, being the official channel, they accumulate the data that allows them to show the history of soccer football visually. It makes special works, such as comparisons between players of different generations (such as Pele vs. Neymar), are entertaining, as is the review by the performance of great players like Franz Beckenbauer.
The application also offers live matches. We will have to wait for the ball to roll to determine if the experience is definite at this point. In general, it is a complete option and is available for Android and IOS.
NBC Sports
NBC Sports, being part of the same company that owns Telemundo Sports, will also broadcast the 2018 FIFA World Cup that will celebrate in Russia on its mobile app. That includes mobile apps, desktop computers, and other streaming devices.
The application, during coverage of the NBA, NHL, MLS, and MLB, offers excellent statistics, best plays and video summaries. We will be vigilant to see if this is true when the ball rolls in Russia 2018.
Remember that you will need 3G, 4G, LTE or WiFi network data connection to view the games and that the offer is only for the United States and Spanish because the rights in English are from Fox Sports.
NBC Sports is available for Android and IOS.
Fox Sports
It is a complete option for those who wish to listen to the comments and narrations in English. You can see all the games from this application with the session of the television provider. It also includes what every fan wants in one place: minute by minute, summaries, news, videos, calendar, debate programs, and podcasts.
There is something great about this application is that from the beginning it allows you to personalize the information and facilitates user navigation.
After choosing the team and the competition that you want to follow (FIFA World Cup), you can create your favorite moments by following the instructions offered by the app or watching the ones that others have done.
Like FIFA, Fox Sports rewards your knowledge, as there is an option to predict the tournament champion.
You must bear in mind, though, that for rights, most audiovisual content only works for residents of the United States.
BBC Sport
This application is fantastic, due to the quality of the reports, news, and statistics handled by the BBC. It allows you to customize your favorite sport so that when you choose football, the amount of data offered about the World Cup, as well as analysis of the matches and best moves, work as a “second screen” to follow the tournament.
What I like about BBC is that, unlike the Univision app, it quickly places you in the tournament. You have to press “FIFA World Cup” to find what you want. It is very friendly design, you have to scroll, and in a little cross or plus sign that the app set at the top right of the screen, you can register and make the experience more personal.
If you know English and you like to read, this will be your application because it is intended for the fan who wants information beyond the results.
BBC Sport is available to download for Android and IOS.
Allfootball
The best application for those who are not very familiar with the technology and wish to have an app on their cell phone to help them know what is happening in the World Cup. First, the design is simple and orderly. In the upper part, the options that you want to consult stand out: News, Trends, World and so on, until going through the different soccer leagues.
In the lower part, the graphics that serve as a guide stand out: News, Matches, Video, and Statistics. The app explained everything very well. Once you know the site, you have the option “Follow,” with it you can customize the application.
In my opinion, it is the ideal option for people who are new to the world of mobile apps.
Download it on Android and IOS.
Onefootball
Although it is a bit disorganized in its presentation, you quickly recognize why it is the favorite in football fan chats: you can customize everything. From the “Settings” option, which is at the bottom of the screen, it is possible to remove and put what you want, such as videos that do not play instantly.
They offer match schedules, ratings, news, alignments, live scores, predictions and complete analysis. What people liked about this app is that the “live” games are very well developed, with statistics at the moment (ball possession, fouls, corner kicks, etc.).
It takes a bit to grab the thread at first, due to the amount of information they handle. Also, it is not clear how is the hierarchy of the themes once you choose to follow a team or a specific selection because of the design privileges the news of the day.
Despite the above, it is an exciting tool to follow minute by minute when you are on free transport or in a waiting room.
Available for Android and IOS.
LiveScore
I know this application since it was released and has perfected its simplicity. The offer is simple and effective: show the score, alignments, penalized and authors of the goals (if any). You can follow different live matches and activate several notifications not to miss anything at the moment.
As is natural in large apps, you can customize all the information and have recently added the news option.
The best thing about LiveScore is that you do not need a next-generation phone to enjoy its content. We repeat, it is for the fanatic who wants to go straight to the point.