With all the hype surrounding the 2010 Winter Olympics, you may have forgot that next year will mark the return of another worldwide favorite – the FIFA World Cup.
Worry not fans, a few minutes with Southafrica2010 World Soccer Cup Tracker will get you ready for the world’s premier soccer tournament. In addition to news and results, the app even has maps of venues in case you are fortunate enough to be attending the event.
Similarly, with the NBA season now in full swing, you may have completely forgot about its European counterpart – Euroleague Basketball. The app of the same name can catch you up with all the action as the league’s 2009-10 season enters its second month of play.
As you might be able to tell, we’re feeling very foreign at Appolicious today, and that got us thinking about some of the better apps dedicated to international sports. Get your passports ready.
Soccer-themed iPhone apps
In the same way that hockey games have almost always translated very well to video game consoles, soccer seems to be doing the same on the iPhone. FIFA 10, Real Soccer 2010 and X2 Soccer 2009 are not only three of the best soccer games available, but three of the top apps out there period.
FIFA 10 includes 30 leagues and 570 real-life teams from around the world, not to mention an addictive “Be A Pro” mode that allows you to create a player and progress through multiple seasons. The downsides with this game are a hefty price tag ($9.99) and the lack of a free lite version.
Real Soccer 2010 does have a free version, though fewer teams and leagues. Like FIFA 10, there are multiple game modes, and while the graphics are very comparable to the EA Sports release, the gameplay isn’t quite as smooth.
While it may have the fewest teams and game modes, X2 Soccer is still just as good as the other two. The highlight of this game is a fantastically simple control scheme, and if that’s not enough to convince you to invest $1.99 in this game, there’s a free demo you can try.
The sport also boasts some of the top team-specific apps. Fans of Real Madrid F.C. will love the video selection offered in MyMadrid, while fans of the Premier League’s Arsenal F.C. have a similar must-have app called Arsenal.
Fellow Premier League team Manchester United F.C. also has an exclusive app titled Man Utd News. This app does not have the depth of the other two I mentioned, though it does have scores, standings and news.
Rugby-themed iPhone apps
Guinness Premiership Rugby provides live scoring and news from England’s top rugby league. It also has a brief overview of the league and information for every player in the league. This free app doubles as one of the best rugby apps available, which is no small feat.
Rugby fans looking for a non-league specific app can check out RugbyZone. It has news, scores and standings from the Tri-Nations, Super 14, Currie Cup and Air New Zealand Cup, among others. The app even has news and scores for the Guinness Premiership, though it doesn’t have as many features as the aforementioned app.
Cricket-themed iPhone apps
The curiously titled Cricket Live-007 was actually released earlier this year, the name just comes from the app’s developer – App007. While this is not the flashiest of apps, it does have live scoring and rankings from games all over the world.
There’s no confusion when it comes to Cricket Game. The 99-cent app brings Twenty20 cricket to your iPhone, and offers three difficult levels.
F1-themed iPhone apps
F1 Insider 2009 allows you to keep up with Formula One, whether they are racing in Detroit or Liverpool. The free version of the app has features like results from practice sessions, qualifying and races as well as news and standings. For the $1.99 version, you get no advertisements, live commentary and the ability to select a favorite team and driver.
F1 2009 Go Go Go! is a similar app that also offers free and paid versions. The lite version includes essentially the same features, while the $1.99 edition has live commentary to go with a video library that includes things like track previews and team news.
