2014 World Cup Sets Social Media Records

The past two weeks have drawn in social media users and sports fans alike with the 2014 World Cup in Brazil taking over TV screens, computers and phones.

The World Cup has been smashing social-media records, even outranking the 2012 London Summer Olympics. With its worldwide appeal and growing fan-base in America, soccer has taken over.

Facebook and Twitter have exploded over the past couple weeks with discussions of soccer and the tournament. From celebrities, to players, and of course all the fans, social media is being used to promote and spread support for the teams.

Because of the time difference, most games are played during working hours. This means more people are taking to their computers to "watch" the game; constantly updating Twitter for plays and scores. Interestingly, the United States Men's National Team's (USMNT) coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, posted a letter  on Twitter to excuse employees during Thursday's match against Germany. The Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, excused all state employees for an extra hour of lunch to watch the game.

Soccer has become increasingly more popular in the United States since the last World Cup in 2010, and with that so is the use of social media during the games.

Athletic brands like Nike and Adidas are taking advantage of the popularity by spending millions on gear for athletes and advertisements throughout the World Cup. They are even going head-to-head to see which brand is the most beloved. Although Adidas is the official game sponsor, Nike has proven to be a successful challenger in marketing.

It is clear to see that soccer is here to stay. Like any big event nowadays, social media plays a pivotal role. From marketing to live-streaming sites alike Twitter and Facebook are using their strengths to attract people to the games.

Here is FIFA's Twitter and Website for more information on the games!