World Cup Players Are Using Hands More Than Ever (to Tweet)

World Cup 2014: Controversies Highlight Players’ Use of Social Media

RIO DE JANEIRO — Zinedine Zidane of France did not apologize on MySpace after his infamous head butt in the 2006 World Cup final. Diego Maradona of Argentina did not address his 1986 knuckle-assisted Hand of God goal on America Online, a digital community that did not become prominent for another five years.

Controversies have arisen in World Cups since a referee inadvertently blew the final whistle six minutes early during a match at the inaugural tournament, in 1930, but the dramas of this year’s event — including a bizarre bite and a backbreaking tackle — have played out with a remarkable immediacy on social media.

Over the last month, players like Neymar, Luis Suárez and the United States reserve forward Chris Wondolowski have offered confessions, explanations, interpretations and amplifications using services like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

“If they can jump online, say something, and see it traverse the world in real time, it makes life that much easier,” said Peter Shankman, a social media consultant in New York.