Photo by Around the World (Cup) in Eight Photos
With everyone’s eyes set on the World Cup in Brazil, let’s celebrate the Beautiful Game with some of the best soccer (okay, football) shots from WordPress.com bloggers.
Whether your country is playing in Brazil this year or not, joining in the fun of this monthlong global festivity is hard to resist. Thanks to bloggers and photographers on the ground in Brazil and around the world, we all get to have the best views.
Just before their team dispatched the outgoing champion, Spain, these Chilean fans found time to hit the beach in Copacabana, where they were captured by Rio-based photoblogger Cristina.
Across town, in a favela called Acari, Dutch student Steef Fleur watched the Brazil-Mexico match with some new friends. This photo is part of Steef’s ongoing project to document the World Cup across local communities in Brazil.
Fans on the other side of the equator watched the same game between the Mexican and Brazilian teams. Blogger Vonn Scott Bair joined the action in San Francisco’s Civic Center, where football fanatics and lunch breakers alike can watch the games together.
Of course, not only humans enjoy a good game of soccer; Zeke, David Kanigan‘s four-legged friend, was just as ready for the fun to start on June 12, when the first match took place.
All this excitement invites intensive, nonstop coverage. British photographer Simon Stacpoole is flying around Brazil this month, trying to capture the perfect shot of players in action. In this photo, taken in Manaus’ Arena Amazonia, he turns his attention to his fellow photographers in the moments before the England-Italy match.
The popularity of soccer has long transformed it into much more than a mere sport — it’s a global cultural, political, and economic phenomenon. The bloggers at Amsterdam Cycle Chic are documenting Orange Fever in Amsterdam, for example — here showing proud fans sporting their team’s jersey after their successful opening game against Spain.
As the lead photographer of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, Joel Robison has witnessed the power of the game to make a change in communities worldwide. He’s visited more than 80 countries in the run-up to the World Cup, taking photographs of players along the way — like these young members of the Palestinian Football Association.
Photographer Tony Burns is currently in Brazil documenting scenes in and around the games, but few shots channel the game’s beauty and visceral appeal as the ones in this photo essay from January, showing how it’s played in a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar.
Are you currently in Brazil or viewing the games from home? Share your World Cup stories with us!
WordPress.com News 
Currently taking part in a creative weekend with the express desire not to have anything to do with the World Cup in any capacity…… 😀
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What superb photos! Beautifully summed up! See our WC views on our blog!
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Beautiful photo’s – I wonder if these photographers know how lucky they are to be sitting at the World Cup & how talented they are which is evidenced by these wonderful photos?
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For the periphery around the World Cup, read brazilinhotpants.wordpress.com/
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I guess it’s football (soccer) fever all over the world.
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Thank you for featuring one of my photos to illustrate your post!!!! Great post!!!!
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My pleasure — thanks for sharing all your great shots and writing on your blog.
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Hi, Mr. Huberman! I’m from Brasil and loved this pics! I’m not participating on nothing of this World Cup, ’cause it’s used as a political anesthetic instrument of our government to make all kinds of corruption keeping our people shouted up… We’re economically failed and hunger and poverty are coming for our people, but nobody thinks of it, ’cause there’s so much fun with football and different people passing through here! I watch other things on my TV; nothing about football, although it’s a sacrifice, ’cause I love grass-rolling ball too. I’m writing to say that I loved the pictures; even being closed to the World Cup matters… Thank you.
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Very nice. Your last photo reminds me of the wonderful movie “The Cup.” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0201840/)
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Very gooooooooooooooooood!
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These are amazing! Great work
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Love the photos!
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These are great pictures! I’m all about the World Cup right now too. It’s taken over my life for the next month or so 🙂
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Great series of photos!
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I WISH I were in Brazil watching the World Cup. These moments captured on film made me emotional, especially of the boys in Myanmar. It’s been a beautiful past nine days, as there have been many surprises and so much heart played in the beautiful game. One moment that especially stands out for me was watching Serey Die cry while singing Ivory Coast’s national anthem. So beautiful.
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For Football fans this is a very good opportunity to have these stunning views of World Cup Football.
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While not at the games I am amazed at how much my family is getting involved in watching these soccer games!
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I wish i was in brazil!
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Apparently all the good teams are loosing. Portugal, Spain, Brasil, Italy. What’s going on?
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🙂 Wonderful pictures!
Looking forward to seeing more, as the football challenge continues.
HAPPY weekend 🙂
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hi, i’m at the other side of the globe but it seems Rio is just a mile away!
Your feature cuts across borders…. it not only focuses on the game, the athletes, but other interests — i.e. the audience – as well !
Nice shots!
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Well, I wish I was in brazil too :’)
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Zeke with the soccer ball wearied my heart ❤
and it reminded me of a book called Dylan's day out – by Peter Catalanotto – where a bored Dalmatian goes off to play soccer….
anyhow,I will go over to David's blog to leave a comment – and the other photos were awesome for the tour de "Cup" – gracias!
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Looks like every corner of the globe is mad for the World Cup. 🙂
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I wish I was there!
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Love these beautiful photos!
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Love watching football matches. Thanks to HD TVs, it feels like you’re in the stadium too! Hopefully, next World Cup, I’ll be witnessing the games live.
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Impressive photos. I like.
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Nice to see the poor taking an active part in sport. Amazing
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Wonderful. I wish I could make it this time and these pictures have just made me urged even more
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Thanks for the post, Mr. Huberman. I’ll be looking forward to more like this!
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Lovely and timely idea, well done!
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I think WordPress should know and also say to their users that World Cup is not just fun, but the back stage of the game is vital for presenting to people the “other” story, which I try on my blog: ivarjordre.wordpress.com/
Something to think about, right?
IJ
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Thanks for letting us know about your blog — of course, the World Cup (and any major event like this one) has complicated repercussions on the country that hosts it. We’ve been highlighting the other sides to the World Cup on Freshly Pressed, where we’ve highlighted a number of thoughtful posts on the situation in Brazil (for example, in this on-the-ground report on police violence in Rio’s favelas).
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Fantastic array, promotes so much hope and goodwill, thanks you! have shared 🙂
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Gorgeous shots. Love the children playing barefoot!
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beautiful pictures 🙂
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Thanks for these beautiful pix, lots of love n Zeal for Brazil football world cup lovers from India.
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That is a cool shot of the field. I like it a lot.
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Hey Ben, These are great shots! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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I don’t know a lot about soccer (work in progress!), but I’ve done my national duty of rooting on the U.S. I’d love to get a picture of audience reaction at home when we watch the game, but that would mean tearing my attention away from the screen long enough to get the shot!
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Thanks for this blog.:) I appreciate people blogging this kind of EVENT. 🙂
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Excellent post. Thank you for sharing these photos!
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I am still in a state of shock because England are out! I really love the World Cup when one of the underdogs rises, inspired only by the love of football, and takes the world by surprise.
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Wow! it is such a fascinating post and great selection of pictures. You should try getting some pictures from Lebanon the atmosphere is always so great!
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Love photo shoot in Myanmar, A winner never stops trying.
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A dream of mine!
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A dream of mine is to capture images similar to those during a huge sporting event. Great shots and post!
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what stadium were you in? what game were you watching?
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This photo is by the photographer linked to next to the photo in question, not by me. He took it before the England-Italy game in Manaus.
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What a good shoot!
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