Top 25 Twitter Accounts To Follow For World Cup 2014

Twitter and soccer are a wonderful marriage. The social media platform has become a vital, virtual companion when watching the beautiful game, with immediate reaction instantly accessible at the touch of a button.

But for those that are relatively new to the game but a pro on Twitter, or perhaps even the other way round, you might not be utilizing Twitter to its maximum potential. And what better time to immerse yourself further in the game than on the cusp of a World Cup?

So instead of trawling through swathes upon swathes of social media pages trying to find the best accounts to follow, we’ve done the hard work for you, citing 25 accounts that you must track to help enhance your experience throughout the Brazil showpiece:

1. Fernando Duarte – Fernando is the man to follow for the best coverage of the Brazilian team and has recently written a book about the country’s worst World Cup moments. A wonderful character, too.

2. Guillem Balague – The Spanish football expert has his finger on the pulse when it comes to all things La Roja-related and is very close to a host of Spanish players. I was lucky enough to interview him back in April.

3. Iain Macintosh – The funniest soccer expert on Twitter. His hilarious anecdotes are not only plentiful, but incisive and thought provoking.

4. Jonathan Wilson – Jonathan has an astounding encyclopedic knowledge of the game’s history, regularly producing masterful articles on a myriad of different topics.

5. Zonal Marking – If statistics and numbers are your bag, then Michael Cox’s account is well worth indulging in. Offers an incomparably clear, concise explanation on the tactical side of the game.

6. Futbol Pictures – Regularly posts superb high quality photographs of a plethora of different parts of the game. Expect no let up throughout the course of this tournament.

7. Oluwashina Okeleji – Okeleji is an expert in African soccer. You’ll struggle to find better coverage of the teams involved from the continent anywhere on the web.

8. Sam Kelly – Sam is an Argentinian soccer fanatic, who covers the Primera A in forensic detail. Expect great insight into the Albiceleste and the South American game as a whole.

9. Squawka – A phenomenal source for all your statistical requirements. Squawka is easy to use and full of brilliant information to impress your friends with.

10. James Horncastle – BT Sport’s Italian soccer guru is quick off the mark when it comes to all things Azzurri related. A very skilled and articulate writer.

11. World Cup Videos – Footage of the upcoming World Cup and a host of classic goals from tournaments gone by. An essential for keeping up with all the action.

12. Aleksandar Holiga – The go-to man on anything to do with the Croatia side. Aleksandar is marvellous writer and the person to keep you in the loop when it comes to The Blazers.

13. Raphael Honigstein – Another from BT Sport’s assembled line-up of pundits. Joachim Low’s team will be looking for their first World Cup win in 24 years this summer and Honigstein knows the German game inside out.

14. Gary Lineker – Famous for his goalscoring exploits with the Three Lions and for fronting the BBC’s soccer coverage. But aside from that, Lineker is very sharp and extremely witty when it comes to Twitter. Well worth a follow.

15. Opta Joe – Another account for you to get your statistical fix. All presented in a concise, clear format. Check out the rest of the “Opta Family” for a host of other associated accounts.

16. Mohamed Moallim – The Dutch will be one of four teams in a very tasty looking Group B. Moallim provides an immersive coverage and cutting-edge insight into all things going on when it comes to the Oranje.

17. Kristof Terreur – Terreur has fashioned a stellar Twitter reputation with his fantastic coverage of pretty much everything to do with Belgium. He’s the account for those of you who fancy the Red Devils’ chances in Brazil.

18. FIFA World Cup – You’ve got to follow the World Cup’s official account, haven’t you? It’s all very prim and proper, but it’s a must if you’re to keep up-to-date with all the major tournament news.

19. Sam Tighe – Sam is a lead writer for the website Bleacher Report. His tactical breakdowns and purposeful comment pieces always make for fascinating reading.

20. Tim Vickery – The BBC’s go-to guy when it comes to all matters to do with South America, Vickery will offer an all-encompassing commentary of the World Cup.

21. Ahmed Yussuf – Ahmed’s beloved Socceroos may be in for a tough time in Brazil. But you can bet that’ll make no difference when it comes to his opinions about the Australian team, which are unyieldingly vibrant and percipient.

22. Janusz Michallik – Janusz lends his opinions to a host of high profile outlets. Extremely knowledgeable about the game and will be playing very close attention the United States’ cause.

23. Philippe Auclair – Engrossingly eloquent and intelligent, Philippe is not only an expert when it comes to French soccer, but the game in its entirety.

24. Ben Shave – A connoisseur of the Portuguese game, Ben should be your hub when chasing up the very latest on Cristiano Ronaldo and co.

25. Roger Bennett – The ESPN writer combines his vast knowledge of the game and engaging writing style superbly. He regularly produces articles that are insightful, informative and humorous. 

Bonus accounts to follow:

World Soccer Talk — This is a go-to account to stay updated on the latest breaking news, as well as opinions and analysis regarding anything and everything World Cup-related and more.

Kartik Krishnaiyer — World Soccer Talk’s Senior Writer Kartik Krishnaiyer is never short of an opinion, and is quite approachable on Twitter if you have questions.

Laurence McKenna — The artistic one of the bunch and the host of the World Soccer Talk podcast, Laurence always give a unique perspective on the beautiful game.

Morgan Green — In addition to being our resident Greece expert, Morgan is quite irreverent and always entertaining to follow.

Kristan Heneage — World Soccer Talk’s resident European expert will be tuned to all of the drama in this World Cup.

Matt Jones — Need I say more?!

If you have suggestions of other Twitter accounts that are worth following for World Cup 2014 coverage, post them in the comments section below.