# Space Station Soccer Matches Astronauts Play Football in Zero Gravity to Celebrate World Cup By Meghan Young | Published 2014-06-13 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/astronauts-play-football References: [fastcompany](http://www.fastcompany.com/3031841/the-recommender/ahead-of-world-cup-astronauts-show-off-mad-soccer-skills-in-zero-gravity?partner=rss) & [nasa.gov](http://www.nasa.gov) The World Cup has kicked off and to celebrate, three astronauts play football in the International [Space Station](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ar-nasa-app). Although there are only three currently on mission, playing in zero gravity makes the game significantly more difficult. American astronauts Reid Wiseman and Steve Swanson, and German astronaut Alexander Gerst are seen spinning and floating as the [soccer ball](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soccer-ball-set) passes by them calmly. Released by [NASA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/light-painting-1), the video footage also features a few words from the astronauts themselves, "We want to wish all the teams and fans on the ground in Brazil a great World Cup. Have fun and have peaceful games. May the best win." Yet if astronauts play football more on the International Space Station, perhaps people would be tuning into them instead of Brazil and their favorite teams. Nothing beats space. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.5/10 - Popularity: 14% | Activity: 54% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Viral](https://www.trendhunter.com/viral) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Space Sports:** Creating organized sports and competitions in zero-gravity environments could lead to new and exciting forms of athletics that are unique to space travel. - **Entertainment in Space:** As space tourism and travel continue to increase, creating unique and entertaining experiences for travelers that incorporate the zero-gravity environment could establish new industries in entertainment and recreation. - **Integration of Sports and Technology:** The technology required for sports to be played in zero-gravity environments could lead to new innovations and advancements in sports technology that could revolutionize traditional sports on earth. ### Where This Applies - **Space Tourism:** The creation of sports and recreation experiences for space travelers could provide a unique selling point for space tourism and attract a wider range of travelers. - **Sports Apparel:** The unique demands of sports played in zero-gravity environments could lead to the development of specialized sports apparel and equipment that is tailored to space sports and could become a new industry of its own. - **Sports Broadcasting:** As interest in space sports grows, opportunities will arise for new sports broadcasters and media outlets to bring these unique competitions to audiences on Earth. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Festive Light Painting Techniques](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/light-painting-1.md) - [Football-Focused Esports Worlds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fifa-world.md) - [Search Engine Football Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mini-cup.md) - [Square-Shaped Soccer Balls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unplayaball.md) - [Space-Centric Metaverse Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lunar-horizons.md) - [Tricolored Tournament Soccer Balls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fifa-world-cup26.md) - [Official Connected FIFA Balls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/connected-soccer-ball.md) - [Soccer-Dribbling Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soccerdribbling-robot.md) - [ASL-Supported Soccer Matches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/interpretation-services.md)