Site Seer: World (Wide Web) Cup

The World Cup Cafe

By CNN Interactive Producer Dave Ragals

(CNN) -- It's the biggest event in the world's most popular sport. So it should be no surprise that the World Wide Web hosts countless sites dedicated to the World Cup. Since it is such a global event (a record 172 countries registered to participate this year), sites can be found in almost any language. Some offer multiple versions -- mostly in English, Spanish and French.

Whether you want scores, schedules, background information or live audio, nowhere will you find as much of what you're looking for than on the Web. Here's just a sample.

The official site of France '98 is available in both English and French. It contains the latest news, mostly from the AFP news agency, and team biographies of all 32 qualifiers, including the United States, defending champs Brazil and the host team from France. You can also see profiles on all 10 venue locations, with travel information, city directories and maps, as well as purchase officially licensed merchandise from the online store. Another nice feature is a Flash schedule with all the games from the first Stage 1 match on June 10 to the finals on July 12.

CNNSI World Cup section

FIFA, the sport's worldwide governing body, has a similar site that also has the official rules and biographies of the referees.

The World Cup Cafe is another place to get all the Cup-related news and scores. Plus, it has a virtual gameroom with weekly trivia and "Spot the Ball" quiz, in which you're shown a photo and have to guess where the ball is supposed to be. It's kind of a soccer-themed "Where's Waldo" in reverse.

Perhaps the highlight of the World Cup Cafe is World Cup Radio with daily and weekly audio updates plus the national anthems of all 32 teams.

If you're stuck at work or school, or anywhere else without a television, you can listen to live broadcasts at World Cup 1998 with "The Voice of Football," Jonathan Pearce. It also features live chat with Pearce, plus match previews, schedules and line-ups. It also has a "GoalFlash" pop-up window that keeps you up-to-date on all the Cup news while you surf elsewhere.

World Cup UK page

CNN/SI has its own World Cup section with news and scores updated 24 hours a day, plus schedules and player profiles. You can also join discussions with fans from around the world on the World Cup Message Board. And it has a "USA '94 Flashback," with stories about the 1994 World Cup, and a "USA '94 Photo Gallery."

All the matches will be broadcast live on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, so you can go to ESPN to see their coverage schedule. If you don't have cable and need satellite information, or if you prefer to watch Spanish broadcasts on Univision, you can get all the schedules and satellite coordinates from Soccer TV. It also shows schedules of World Cup-related features and preview shows on several English and Spanish networks.

For soccer fans around the world, there's no better time than the World Cup. If you're among those ranks, or if you're a complete novice looking to learn more about soccer, you can find plenty of information about the world's most popular sport on the World Wide Web.