The US Men's National Team plays Belgium tonight in my hometown of Seattle, and my family is beyond excited. So I created these Glass Wrappings to add some more ambience to our celebration.
Soccer fans often call the World Cup the "greatest sporting show on Earth" because it brings together countries from every continent in one month-long global tournament.
Here are some fun facts about the World Cup:
1. The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event on Earth. Billions of people tune in during the tournament, making it even more widely viewed than the Olympics.
2. The tournament began in 1930. The first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay, and the host nation won the championship.
3. In 96 years, only eight countries have won the World Cup and Brazil has won the most: Brazil (5), Germany (4), Italy (4), Argentina (3), France (2), Uruguay (2), England (1), and Spain (1).
4. The World Cup trophy is made of solid gold. The current FIFA World Cup Trophy stands about 14 inches high and weighs over 13 pounds.
5. The World Cup trophy is never actually awarded permanently to the winning nation. The champions receive a gold plated replica, while the original trophy remains in FIFA's possession.
6. The trophy is not touched by just anyone. Only World Cup winners and heads of state are officially allowed to handle it.
7. The World Cup soccer ball has evolved from a hand-stitched leather ball into the "Smart Ball," one of the most sophisticated pieces of sports equipment in the world. Each ball contains more computing technology than the computers used to help guide the Apollo missions to the Moon.
AI combines information from the connected ball, multiple stadium cameras, player tracking systems, and referee input to make automated recommendation that human officials review before confirming a decision.