The Soccer World Cup is here, but how do you join in the fun if you’re stuck behind a desk? We round up the essential list of individuals to follow on Twitter, from celebrities to footballers.
Shakira
Follow her: @shakira
Miss Waka Waka herself tends to update quite often but we’re not sure if its her or her “people”. The Columbian music star is in South Africa to perform at the kick-off concert and opening ceremony.
Sample tweet: “There is so much excitement on the streets of South Africa today! ShakiraHQ http://twitpic.com/1v8xmm“
will.i.am
Follow him: @iamwill
The Black Eyed Peas are in South Africa for the kick-off concert, and so far will.i.am has been doing some sightseeing. He’s an outspoken chap, so hopefully he’ll have something to say about his stay.
Sample tweet: “Today was awsome (sic), safari’s and a trip to the lime stone caves, I was in a cave 1mile below the surface of the planet…”
Richard Branson
Follow him: @richardbranson
Sir Richard Branson, the rebel billionaire, is in SA for the World Cup, and to spend time helping out worthy causes.
Sample tweet: “These superfans from South Africa managed to teach me how to blow a vuvuzela. I even squeezed in God Save the Queen! http://bit.ly/bJvw6R“
John Legend
Follow him: @johnlegend
John Legend is here for the kick-off concert. He tweets every few hours, and so far seems to have been enjoying getting up close and personal with some of the country’s more adorable inhabitants.
Sample tweet: “This was right before the cub bit my shoulder.
http://tweetphoto.com/26471444“
Alicia Keys
Follow her: @AliciaKeys
Alicia Keys is also in town for the kick-off concert and opening ceremony.
It seems she is a fan of local music. And exclamation marks Sample tweet: “Check this video of this super sick group BLK JKS – “Molalatladi” http://youtu.be/_p39dhBLK1U I’m performing with them at World Cup. CRAZZY!”
Footballers
The bad news is that many teams are banned from using Twitter by their management. Funny, as you’d think 140 characters would be the perfect medium for football players, hardly renowned for their eloquence. A few seem to have slipped through the net.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Follow him: @C_Ronaldo
This Twitter profile hasn’t been verified (something most genuine celebrity accounts are) so we can’t guarantee this is the real deal. It seems authentic enough, if you can bring yourself to believe that the man tweets soundbites as perfectly constructed as his hairstyle.
Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
Follow him: @ DiegoForlan7
The Uruguayan footballer’s tweets are mostly in Spanish, so if you can’t understand what he’s saying, you can always look at his pictures.
Kaka (Brazil)
Follow him: @RealKaka
This Brazilian legend tweets in English occasionally. Very occasionally.
We’re still waiting to see what he has to say about SA.
Carlos Puyol (Spain)
Follow him: @Carles5puyol
The Barcelona captain hasn’t tweeted for a while, and seldom tweets in English, but we’re hoping he’ll have something to say about his time in SA.
Nicholas Anelka (France)
Follow him: @anelkaofficiel
The French striker and Chelsea player hasn’t tweeted for a while. He often tweets before big games and after victories, so those wanting to know how he feels before the French take on SA might be in luck.
Giorgio Chiellini (Italy)
Follow him: @chiellini
The Italian centre back has tweeted since the team’s arrival in South Africa, but only in Italian so far. They need to work hard, if Google Translate is to be believed.
Ryan Babel (The Netherlands)
Follow him: @RyanBabel
The Dutch forward has been using Twitter for the most mundane of things since landing in South Africa: finding out where to buy a camera. Follow him and tell him where to go shopping.
DaMarcus Beasley (USA)
Follow him: @DaMarcusBeasley
This American star recently made headlines when he tweeted “Someone blew up my car” — which they had done, while it was parked outside his home. While we hope that vandals leave him alone while he is in SA, we hope his feed continues to entertain.
And of course don’t forget to follow the Mail & Guardian 2010 team as we bring you the latest match reports, videos, articles and more from the biggest sporting event to hit Africa.