The Khalifa International Stadium in Doha
(Picture: Peter Byrne/PA)The FIFA World Cup kicked off on Sunday (November 20) in Qatar and Google has launched a mini-game and doodle to celebrate the start of the tournament.
The game lets players pick a side in upcoming fixtures and shoot footballs against an animated goalkeeper in a bid to propel their team to victory. The stakes are high as you’ll be playing against other players from around the world.
To give it ago, just enter “World Cup Qatar 2022” on Google on your device, pick an upcoming match, and select play. You’ll see the cumulative goals for each side on screen as you try your hand at adding to your chosen team’s tally.
Google has also debuted a new Google doodle to celebrate the biggest prize in international football. The animation features a pair of football boots passing a ball to each other below the Google logo, which features a football.
Google isn’t the only tech company with football fever. EA recently introduced a World Cup mode for FIFA 23, the latest edition of its long-running footy series. The developer also offered its prediction on who would win as part of its tradition of simulating the World Cup. This time round, FIFA forecast that Argentina would triumph in a final against Brazil, with Messi waltzing off with the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer.
Unfortunately for England, FIFA predicted the Three Lions would be knocked out in the group stage. However, things are off to a positive start for Gareth Southgate’s players, with England scoring three goals against Iran in the first half of their first fixture.
The World Cup sees 32 teams battling it out for the Jules Rimet trophy. The tournament takes place every four years, typically in the summer, but this year’s tournament is in the winter as the host country is Qatar, which has a sweltering summer.
