By Mark Sikes and Peter Butler
(updated 6/19/06)
The long, four-year wait is finally over and the matches of the FIFA World Cup 2006 have finally begun, igniting the hopes of billions of fans around the planent. Although this year's Cup is only the 18th ever, the tournament has already established itself as the granddaddy of all sporting events, due to the size of the audience and the wild passion of the fans. Follow this year's football extravaganza with a collection of World Cup-inspired software and games.
TVU Player beta
This free P2P video player includes feeds from ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2, letting anyone with an Internet connection watch the World Cup live.
Screen Dragon VS4 Preliminary Draw Video Screensaver
This interactive screensaver from FIFA features the greatest World Cup goals of the past century and allows for additional content from this year's Cup.
Joga.com Companion
Get the latest World Cup news and scores, chat with fellow fans, and watch video highlights with this handy Firefox extension.
BBC World Cup Wallchart
Get the full schedule for the 2006 competition from the BBC in a handy, printable format.
FIFA World Cup Screensaver
A second, more traditional screensaver from FIFA showcases favorite moments in the history of the event.
2006 FIFA World Cup demo
The demo for the official World Cup 2006 video game lets you play as Germany, Mexico, England, or the United States.
My World Cup 2006
Part of the fun of the Cup format is the myriad of scenarios that can evolve. This tracking tool lets you follow the scores and ponder, "What if?"
ZoneTick World Time Zone Clock 3
What time is it in Germany? You'd know that answer for sure with this multiple time-zone clock that supports Winamp skins.
World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 demo
Though it may not have the FIFA license, Konami's soccer simulation has quietly earned our vote for best video soccer game.
Conti Destination Germany Screensaver
If you can't make it to Germany for the tournament, you can still tour the region with this photographic screensaver.
