Looking forward to the World Cup? We can’t wait for it to kick off. Avoid a tournament Qatar-strophe and get tech-ready for the greatest festival of football on earth.
1. Follow the latest scores with a tablet
Armchair sports fans don’t want to watch just one game – they’re champs at multitasking.
With a tablet in hand the sporting world is your oyster, enhancing the action with some of the best football apps around. Keep an eye on other World Cup fixtures – while the big game is on the big screen – to see where your team is going to end up in the group. Or try and get an early idea of who you might be facing in the next round…
If you can’t bear to miss a moment of the action while you’re on-the-go, hit up iPlayer, the BBC Sport app and ITV Hub to stream the games live. If you’re busy (God forbid), catch the key highlights after the game - wherever you are.
When picking up a tablet for the footy there’s a couple of things you’re going to want to consider:
Screen quality - want to witness England’s inevitable penalty shootout heartbreak in all its glory? See it in stunning detail on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A8 10.5" Tablet thanks to its full HD+ IPS display. The beautiful game has never looked this beautiful
Planning on watching games back-to-back? Then you could be holding the tablet for quite a while. Make sure to choose one that’s light and comfortable to hold
2. Never miss a moment with a mini fridge
Don’t let thirst get in the way of an end-to-end clash. Invest in a mini fridge and enjoy your favourite chilled beverages without missing a single minute.
Plug it in next to your sofa and keep it well stocked for whenever your mates come over for a nail-biting evening of football fun.
Before you rush out to buy one, think about the following:
How many drinks do you need it to hold? The Husky Coca Cola mini fridge holds 43 cans – which is more than enough for the thirstiest group of fans. Plus, its retro styling looks ace too
Need it to fit into that little nook in your front room? Then don’t forget to measure up
If you see yourself as a more sophisticated sports fan and a crisp Sancerre is your tipple of choice, then look at specialist wine coolers. Designed to keep wine at an optimal drinking temperature, some even have separate ‘zones’ for storing beer and soft drinks
3. Keep the room temperature just right with a fan heater
We’re more than aware that this isn’t your usual time of year for a World Cup. Colder weather at home but a tournament played in the desert heat? It’s definitely different this time round.
As the action heats up onscreen, stay warm during the chilliest evening kick-off with a fan heater. However, with your friends and family crammed together on the sofa, it’s still easy to get hot under the collar too. Which is why plugging one in with both hot and cool modes is a good idea.
Opt for a model like the Russel Hobbs Fan Heater and quickly swap between heat settings with the twist of a dial. And what’s more, when your dad wildly celebrates yet another Harry Kane hattrick, a safety tip-over switch prevents any football-based faux pas. We’re not biased, we swear.
4. Avoid being couch-bound with an activity tracker
The World Cup is engrossing stuff – but you can easily lose track of time as the goals go in. Use an activity tracker to remind you to keep moving if you’ve been sat down for too long.
Fitbit’s Charge 5 Fitness Tracker is perfect for armchair fans. We know how tense those final minutes can be while your team defends a 1 goal lead. An EDA Sensor monitors the way your body reacts to stress, offering suggestions for how to manage it. We’re going to guess it’s not going to recommend putting yourself through extra time and a shootout.
5. Find out the key match stats with your own virtual assistant
Want to find out those niche nuggets of footy trivia to impress your friends with? Do your pre-match prep like a real pundit with a virtual assistant like the Sonos Roam.
Packing Alexa and Google Assistant, a smart speaker like the Roam is great to have close by when you need…
An alarm. Ask Alexa when that key quarter final is and set a reminder so you don’t miss it
Your very own Roy Keane. Want to know the England squad line up? Or who we beat in that famous ’66 final? Then ask Alexa or Google. Just don’t expect it to respond in a dour Irish accent
Neat, huh?
Did we forget something? Oh, of course, the TV! Make sure to get yourself the best TV for watching sport.
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