On Monday 14 July 2014
The FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 is starting very soon and you’re maybe wondering how you can use your Android device to get the most out of the experience. In this day and age of the internet being everywhere, it’s difficult to find the best FIFA World Cup apps because a lot of people are using the phrase to try to get their space in the search results. In this list, we’ve weeded out the nonsense and brought you the best Android apps to check out the World Cup!
ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup
[Price: Free]
First up is the ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup app. As you’ve come to expect from ESPN in general, this app will have a whole bunch of awesome features for World Cup fans. They include video highlights, in-depth reporting and analysis, and even some unique features like Twitter integration so you can see the up to date news, rumors, and stories.
First up is the ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup app. As you’ve come to expect from ESPN in general, this app will have a whole bunch of awesome features for World Cup fans. They include video highlights, in-depth reporting and analysis, and even some unique features like Twitter integration so you can see the up to date news, rumors, and stories.
Above average but we expected better.
PROS
- Free
- Reactions, analysis, and reporting from competent journalists.
- Twitter integration is a nice touch.
- Clean, colorful UI.
- The essential World Cup stats and standings are available.
CONS
- Some features are funky or don't work as expected like team notifications.
- No tablet support.
- Some with midrange or lower spec'd phones report bad lag sometimes.
6.5
Overall, this is a great app for the casual fan. Some of the more hardcore fans may require a little more but ESPN does a good job covering as many bases as possible.
FIFA Official App
[Price: Free]
It is the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 and thus the official FIFA app is a mandatory addition to the list. It features standings, a schedule, and coverage of the whole event. It also includes some fun things only FIFA can provide like the chance to win a kickoff ball and vote for the Man of the Match. It provides team break downs, player profiles, and a host of other information and coverage.
It is the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 and thus the official FIFA app is a mandatory addition to the list. It features standings, a schedule, and coverage of the whole event. It also includes some fun things only FIFA can provide like the chance to win a kickoff ball and vote for the Man of the Match. It provides team break downs, player profiles, and a host of other information and coverage.
For an official app of a sporting event, it's not bad.
PROS
- In depth team and player profiles.
- Chance to win prizes like the kickoff ball from all 64 games.
- Vote for the Man of the Match, which is actually really cool.
- The standard standings, schedules, and reporting is included.
- The UI isn't terrible and for a sports app, that's an achievement.
CONS
- A lot of reports of the app crashing when opened.
- It's rough on your data plan.
- Other various bugs.
7.5
Overall, this is one of the most competent official apps for a sport we’ve ever seen but it’s not without its quirks.
FIFA 14 by EA Sports
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Android’s most popular football (soccer) game was recently updated to include a lot of World Cup goodness. According to the Google Play Store change log, EA Sports has added officially licensed national teams and you can enjoy them with other official World Cup items like the Adidas Brazuca ball. If you’re waiting for the next match to start or you’re just a big fan of the sport, FIFA 14 is a pretty good option.
Android’s most popular football (soccer) game was recently updated to include a lot of World Cup goodness. According to the Google Play Store change log, EA Sports has added officially licensed national teams and you can enjoy them with other official World Cup items like the Adidas Brazuca ball. If you’re waiting for the next match to start or you’re just a big fan of the sport, FIFA 14 is a pretty good option.
The most football (soccer) fun you can have with two thumbs.
PROS
- It's the best football (soccer) game available for mobile.
- Officially licensed national teams and items are a plus.
- If you like it, there are dozens of teams and leagues to play with once the World Cup is over.
- Decent graphics and game play.
- Match of the Week lets you to engage with fellow fans.
CONS
- The in-app purchases in this game are ridiculous.
- Server issues have ruined this game for some people.
7.0
It’s the best football (soccer) game out there, despite its flaws.
Forza Soccer
[Price: Free]
Forza Soccer is a very popular and very well rated application that brings you information like live scores, push notifications, and video highlights for hundreds of leagues around the world. As you can imagine, they’ve got FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 already baked into the application if you’d like to get your information there. It also includes some fun features like opinion polls.
Forza Soccer is a very popular and very well rated application that brings you information like live scores, push notifications, and video highlights for hundreds of leagues around the world. As you can imagine, they’ve got FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 already baked into the application if you’d like to get your information there. It also includes some fun features like opinion polls.
It's not flashy, but it's competent.
PROS
- Very stable app. Not many people are reporting bugs.
- Live score updates are a plus.
- Customized push notifications let you follow the teams of your choice and get updates about them.
- The opinion polls are a fun extra feature.
- Once the World Cup is over, you can still follow 400+ leagues.
CONS
- The app is stable but that comes at the price of having fewer features than other apps.
- May not have the in depth coverage of larger sports outlets.
8.0
Overall, this is one of the most complete apps in terms of stability. If these others are giving you crash issues, try this one.
Google Now
[Price: Free]
Google Now isn’t an app you’d typically find on a list of best sports apps but Google has been doing great things with their services. One such great thing is adding World Cup information to the voice search so you can just ask your phone for information and it’ll deliver it. It won’t get you the in depth coverage or other fun features of these other apps, but for the casual fan who wants to keep up with what’s going on quickly, it’s a good option.
Google Now isn’t an app you’d typically find on a list of best sports apps but Google has been doing great things with their services. One such great thing is adding World Cup information to the voice search so you can just ask your phone for information and it’ll deliver it. It won’t get you the in depth coverage or other fun features of these other apps, but for the casual fan who wants to keep up with what’s going on quickly, it’s a good option.
A perfect little add on to the sports fan repertoire.
PROS
- You can inquire about a team’s upcoming games, results, and standing in its group.
- Voice commands allow you to check without navigating menus or loading websites.
- It's a Google service and people love Google services.
CONS
- There is no comprehensive coverage or unique features. This is a feature of an app with a much wider scope. Hardcore fans will need to find another app to go along with this.
8.0
Overall, this is a great app to either augment another one of these apps or it’s great for the casual fan.
theScore: Sports & Scores
[Price: Free]
theScore is one of the few sports blogs we have on this list and that’s because they went the extra mile for their coverage. Along with the usual blog posts they also have a number of World Cup features baked in including a dedicated section of the app specifically for the event. It’s a well designed app that’s been getting steadily more stable and they have improved their design dramatically over the last year.
theScore is one of the few sports blogs we have on this list and that’s because they went the extra mile for their coverage. Along with the usual blog posts they also have a number of World Cup features baked in including a dedicated section of the app specifically for the event. It’s a well designed app that’s been getting steadily more stable and they have improved their design dramatically over the last year.
One of the best out there bar none.
PROS
- A dedicated World Cup section so you don't have to filter through any other news.
- A clean, easy-to-navigate interface.
- Scores, standings, and schedules included.
- Offers a personalized sports experience so you only get the news you want.
- When the next huge sporting event takes place, you can be sure these guys will update their app and be ready for it.
CONS
- Not as many out-of-the-box ideas like opinion polls as seen in earlier apps.
- Since they are an outlet for all sports, there may be a lack of focused, in-depth coverage that you'd get from, say, the official FIFA app.
8.5
Overall, theScore offers a sports solution that few other blogs and websites can touch for all sports, not just football (soccer).
TuneIn Radio
[Price: Free]
TuneIn Radio isn’t a sports app, it’s a radio app. However, one thing TuneIn Radio will have is radio stations that will be covering the FIFA World Cup. If you can’t watch it on TV and you can’t find any streaming solutions, then radio is always a good and free way to enjoy sports. It comes with social media integration for Google+ and Facebook so you don’t need to make an account.
TuneIn Radio isn’t a sports app, it’s a radio app. However, one thing TuneIn Radio will have is radio stations that will be covering the FIFA World Cup. If you can’t watch it on TV and you can’t find any streaming solutions, then radio is always a good and free way to enjoy sports. It comes with social media integration for Google+ and Facebook so you don’t need to make an account.
Listening to the radio, kicking it old school.
PROS
- A great alternative to video streaming if you can't find that or you can't use that.
- Social media integration allows you to avoid irritating account sign-ups.
- Clean, well designed interface makes it easy to find what you're looking for.
- Has radio stations that will be covering the FIFA World Cup.
CONS
- It's not video streaming.
- If you need more than a place to listen to the games on the radio, you'll have to download one of these other apps.
8.0
If you need radio coverage of the World Cup, this is a great option.
WatchESPN
[Price: Free]
If you were to search how to video stream the World Cup, you may have heard that ESPN will be streaming all 64 matches online. Yes, that is true and you can take advantage of that on mobile with the WatchESPN app. It’s a little rough around the edges like practically every other app that streams live sports and long time fans of live streaming sports games already know the breaks of using an app like this.
If you were to search how to video stream the World Cup, you may have heard that ESPN will be streaming all 64 matches online. Yes, that is true and you can take advantage of that on mobile with the WatchESPN app. It’s a little rough around the edges like practically every other app that streams live sports and long time fans of live streaming sports games already know the breaks of using an app like this.
At least it's better than it was a year ago.
PROS
- Let's you watch all 64 matches as long as you have a cable provider that supports it.
- For the majority (more than 50%) of people, the app works pretty well.
- Chromecast support.
- When it does work, it works well.
CONS
- You have to have a cable provider that supports it. You can find a full list on the Google Play page.
- As with any sports streaming app, a lot of people have a lot of problems with it.
- Some people are having login troubles.
6.0
Overall, this is the solution for legally streaming games online even if it has its problems.
Other ways to watch for free!
It is a worldwide event and some people would rather watch the games for free. If you already pay for cable, the WatchESPN app and website is your best bet because they do cover all 64 games. If you don’t have basic cable, you can still watch a few of the games -including the final game- on ABC by using the good old fashioned rabbit ears. If you don’t mind listening to a Spanish speaking broadcaster, you can also stream a decent number of the games from Univision for free.
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