World Cup fever: Scenes from off the pitch
As World Cup fever sweeps the world by storm, we take a look at the scenes from off the pitch of fans and the game’s frenzy.
- Algerian soccer team fan, Smail Belaroussi, from Algeria, kicks a soccer ball as he visits Copacabana beach while waiting for the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 11, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brazil continues to prepare to host the World Cup which starts on June 12th and runs through July 13th. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
- A Brazilian fan plays a drum as he shouts to support his team outside the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, on June 11, 2014, ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. (Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images)
- Brazilian policemen stand guard as fans arrive at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo prior to the start of the Group A opening football match between Brazil and Croatia during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 12, 2014. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images)
- An Indian soccer fan looks on amid paraphernalia of the Brazilian soccer team ahead of their first match in the FIFA World Cup against Croatia, in Kolkata on June 12, 2014. Football fans in the eastern Indian city are gearing up for the upcoming Brazil FIFA World Cup 2014 and decorating their clubs and locality with football-related paraphernalia. (Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images)
- A man paints replicas of the football World Cup trophy at a shop in Bat Trang pottery village on the outskirts of Hanoi on June 12, 2014. The trophies are sold for about 3.5 US dollars to local football fans. (Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP/Getty Images)
- Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik gives final touches on his sand sculpture ahead of the first football match of the FIFA World Cup 2014 between Brazil and Croatia, at Puri beach some 65 kilometers away from Bhubaneswar on June 11, 2014. With just days to go before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, football fans are showing their support for the event by purchasing football-related merchandise and through hairstyles and team strips. (Asit Kumar/AFP/Getty Images)
- A young man plays on an arcade machine in a bar near Manaus port on June 17, 2014 in Manaus, Brazil. Group D teams, England lost 2-1 to Italy in their opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Manaus on June 14, 2014. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
- Fans ride a bicycle outside the stadium prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group A match between Brazil and Mexico at Castelao on June 17, 2014 in Fortaleza, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
- Ecuador fans wave their flag outside of the National Stadium, ahead of their opening game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Switzerland on sunday, on June 12, 2014 in Brasilia, Brazil. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
- Argentinean soccer team fan, Juan Pablo, from Argentina, wears a replica head of the FIFA mascot as he enjoys Copacabana beach while waiting for the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 11, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brazil continues to prepare to host the World Cup which starts on June 12th and runs through July 13th. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
- Argentinean soccer team fans hold a banner as they enjoy Copacabana beach while waiting for the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 11, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brazil continues to prepare to host the World Cup which starts on June 12th and runs through July 13th. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
- Iranian soccer team fan, Hooman Moossavi, from France, waves an Iranian flag as he visits Copacabana beach while waiting for the start of the World Cup tournament on June 11, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brazil continues to prepare to host the World Cup which starts on June 12th and runs through July 13th. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
- Soccer fans of South Korea react as they watch a live television broadcast of their 2014 World Cup Group H soccer match against Belgium, in Seoul June 27, 2014. Jan Vertonghen’s late goal saw 10-man Belgium beat South Korea 1-0 in their final Group H match on Thursday, despite having Steven Defour sent off just before halftime for a nasty two-footed challenge. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)
- German soccer fans watch the 2014 World Cup Group G soccer match between Germany and the U.S. at public viewing in a beergarden ‘Hirschgarten’ in Munich June 26, 2014. (Michaela Rehle/Reuters)
- Swiss Guards chat as they prepare to watch the 2014 World Cup soccer match between Italy and Costa Rica at their headquarters in Vatican June 20, 2014. (Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters)
- An England fan holds a flag as she travels on a train towards the Corinthians arena at the Luz Station before the 2014 World Cup Group D soccer match between England and Uruguay in Sao Paulo June 19, 2014. (Nacho Doce/Reuters)
- Boys watch a screening of the 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match between Brazil and Mexico, at the slum of Varjao on the outskirts of Brasilia June 17, 2014. (Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters)
- Brazilian patient Isabela (C), 4, and her parents Thiago (L) and Luciana, react as they watch the 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match between Brazil and Mexico at the Cancer Itaci Hospital in Sao Paulo June 17, 2014. (Nacho Doce/Reuters)
- Men watch the 2014 World Cup Group B soccer match between the Netherlands and Australia on a laptop, at a camel market in Daba near Tabuk June 18, 2014. (Mohamed Alhwaity/Reuters)
- U.S. soccer fans react as they watch the 2014 World Cup soccer match between U.S. and Ghana which is broadcast on a large screen at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro June 16, 2014 . (Pilar Olivares/Reuters)
- Mexican soccer fans throw a man in the air as they celebrate the 0-0 draw between Mexico and Brazil in their 2014 World Cup soccer match, at the Angel of Independence monument, in Mexico City June 17, 2014. (Bernardo Montoya/Reuters)
- The armadillo called Norman, Germany’s World Cup oracle, approaches the soccer ball representing Germany as he makes his prediction for the team’s opening World Cup match against Portugal on June 16, at the zoo in the western city of Muenster June 13, 2014. (Ina Fassbender/Reuters)
- A boy is silhouetted as he plays with a soccer ball at night in Colombo June 11, 2014. The 2014 FIFA soccer World Cup will be held in Brazil from June 12 through July 13. (Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters)
- Fans cheer after the U.S. scored a second goal during the 2014 Brazil World Cup Group G soccer match between Ghana and the U.S. at a viewing party in Hermosa Beach, California June 16, 2014. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)
- German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen (C) celebrates with staff while watching Germany score past Portugal in the first half of their 2014 World Cup Group G soccer match, at the Consulate General of Germany in New York June 16, 2014. (Adrees Latif/Reuters)
- Croatian and Brazilian fans cheer before the 2014 World Cup opening ceremony at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo June 12, 2014. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)
- People watch Germany playing against Portugal in a World Cup soccer match during a public viewing event at the Alte Foersterei stadium in Berlin, June 16, 2014. Berlin’s Union Berlin soccer team, which plays in the second division, has turned its stadium into a vast “World Cup living room,” allowing fans to transport their own sofa onto the pitch to watch the games for free. At least 12,000 people are expected to watch Germany’s first World Cup game against Portugal on Monday, on up to 850 couches. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)
- People sit on sofas as they watch the opening game of the 2014 World Cup between Brazil and Croatia, during a public viewing event at the Alte Foersterei stadium in Berlin June 12, 2014. Berlin’s Union soccer club has invited its supporters to bring their sofas to its stadium to watch World Cup soccer matches on a giant screen in a communal living room atmosphere. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)
- A Croatian soccer fan paints his car to resemble the Croatian national flag in Zaton, south Croatia June 12, 2014. Croatia will be playing against Brazil at their World Cup soccer match today in Sao Paulo. (Antonio Bronic/Reuters)
- A member of the Thunderbolt Craziness band wearing a metal suit balances a soccer ball on his head as electricity is discharged from Tesla coils during a performance to celebrate the 2014 Brazil World Cup, in Changle, Fujian province June 12, 2014. The band specialises in producing electric arcs from Tesla coils that have been charged with one million volts of electricity. Picture taken June 12, 2014. (Stringer/Reuters)
- A woman pose for a picture under street decorations on the public square where the fan zone for soccer matches will be held at Pelourinho neigborhood ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Salvador June 11, 2014. (Marcos Brindicci/Reuters)
- U.S. soccer fans celebrate at the end of the 2014 World Cup soccer match between U.S. and Ghana, which was broadcast on a large screen at Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, June 16, 2014. (Pilar Olivares/Reuters)
- Giant panda Ying Mei sits next to a box of food with the Brazilian flag on it, during an event called “Panda Predicts World Cup Results”, ahead of the 2014 World Cup opening match between Brazil and Croatia, in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, June 12, 2014. Picture taken June 12, 2014. (China Daily/Reuters)
- Elephants painted with flags of Brazil (L) and Mexico (R) perform to celebrate the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as hundreds of people watch along the Khaosan tourist street, in Bangkok June 13, 2014. The performance was part of an event arranged by the Khaosan Road business association in a bid to boost tourism under the current curfew, according to the association. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom
- Police block a road to contain a demonstration against the 2014 World Cup in Belo Horizonte, as Colombia and Greece play their first round match in the same city, June 14, 2014. (Nereu Jr/Reuters)
- U.S. soccer fans celebrate at the end of the 2014 World Cup soccer match between U.S. and Ghana, which was broadcast on a large screen at Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, June 16, 2014. (Pilar Olivares/Reuters)
- A girl takes a selfie in front of a promotional banner at the Brasilia Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport ahead of the 2014 World Cup, in Brasilia June 11, 2014. (Paul Hanna/Reuters)
- Kids play soccer on a street as a police officer watches outside Independencia stadium before the start of the Argentine national team training session in preparation for 2014 World Cup in Belo Horizonte, June 11, 2014. (Leonhard Foeger/Reuters)
- Artist He Haomin paints a 3-dimensional soccer ball at a park in Changsha, Hunan province, June 12, 2014. Picture taken June 12, 2014. (China Daily/Reuters)
- Ryan Truxal and Christa Dellebovi (left) of Denver cheer as the U.S. scored a goal in the second half. Truxal is a member of the Denver chapter of American Outlaws, and came to Baltimore with Dellebovi to visit family. (Matt Bylis/Baltimore Sun)
- An Algerian fan is pictured prior to a Group H football match between Belgium and Algeria at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 17, 2014. (Christophe SImon/AFP/Getty Images)
- Belgian supporters gather outside the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on June 17, 2014 before the match Belgium vs Algeria for the Group H of the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014. (Gustavo Andrade/AFP/Getty Images)
- Algerian supporters gather outside the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on June 17, 2014 before the match Belgium vs Algeria for the Group H of the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014. (Gustavo Andrade/AFP/Getty Images)