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"Here's one piece of evidence that soccer's popularity is on the rise in the United States: Last September, Sports Illustrated, America's most iconic sports publication, launched a blog called Planet F\u00FAtbol, dedicated to covering the world's game. \nNow here's a piece of evidence the USA's burgeoning soccer fandom is at a fever pitch on the eve of the 2014 World Cup: Planet F\u00FAtbol on Tuesday will graduate to full-on website status, joining The Monday Morning Quarterback (MMQB), Sports Illustrated's NFL-focused site that launched ahead of the 2013 (American) football season. \nSee also: The Definitive World Cup Preview (in Haiku Form)\n\"As the appetite for more World Cup and overall soccer coverage increases, we want to expand our footprint and be the ultimate destination for the soccer fan,\" Paul Fichtenbaum, editor of the Time Inc. Sports Group, told Mashable in an email. \nGrant Wahl and Brian Straus, Sports Illustrated's two most visible soccer writers, will be the \"cornerstones\" of the new site, according to Fichtenbaum, but it will also feature contributors based around the world.\n\nHere's a look at Sports Illustrated's new soccer-specific site, Planet Futbol. Image:  Sports IllustratedLike The MMQB, the grown-up Planet F\u00FAtbol will be sport-specific. \"But,\" Fichtenbaum says, \"unlike the NFL, soccer is truly a global game.\" \nExpect dispatches from around the world, many focusing on stories that take place off the field. Expect spotlight features on the world's biggest professional clubs and legendary rivalries from around the globe. And, of course, expect plenty on the U.S. national team \u2014 as well as its neighbors to the South. \n\"Obviously the core of our coverage will be American and the U.S. national team,\" Fichtenbaum tells Mashable. \"But we also want to devote more coverage to the Mexican national team and league. There's a void to be filled for the Latino audience; no mainstream soccer site currently covers El Tri. Down the line, providing soccer coverage in both English and Spanish is something we will look to explore.\"\nThe new site should also help Sports Illustrated's overall bottom line, launching with a roster of advertising partners including Marriott, Degree, Canon and Gatorade. \nFor American soccer fans who want to continue falling in love with the beautiful game after the World Cup ends, consider this a goal buried deep in the back of the net. \n\n\nUniforms of the World Cup, from best to worst\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1. Brazil\nWhen Brazil looks to win its sixth World Cup on its home soil this summer, it'll do so in the utmost style. The yellow and blue numbers above stick close to the blueprint for the sele\u00E7\u00E3o's respective home and away kits. Meanwhile, the dark green alternate jersey provides a nice change of pace, right down those subtly striped shorts. To mix our sports metaphors, Brazil (with some help from Nike) knocks it out of the park. Final score: 10/10\n\nImage:  Nike\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2. Spain\nAdidas does a top-notch job of balancing tradition with innovation. The red home numbers reflect the look you expect from Spain, while the away versions offer something else entirely: A black base with neon green trim. Not every nation could pull this off, but the look fits perfectly with Spain's stacked squad of fearsome attackers and creative ball-handlers. Final score 9.6/10\n\nImage:  Adidas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n3. Portugal\nAnother excellent study in contrasts. Portugal's red home kit is all fire and strength, while the away kit features a clean blue and white look. The Portuguese Football Federation's excellent patch, meanwhile, is a welcome addition to any shirt. Final score: 9.5/10\n\nImage:  Nike\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n4. Italy\nItaly has one of the game's classic kits, year in and year out. Puma does that heritage justice here, with two equally excellent outfits. From the tiny collar on the blue home shirt to the light gray pinstripes on the white away kit, little details make a difference. Final score: 9.4/10\n\nImage:  Tom Oldham Photography/Puma\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n5. Germany\nAnother great contrasting look. The white home kit is clean, simple and traditional, while the away kit's deep red and black stripes give the attacking German squad some fearsome style. Final score: 9.2/10\n\nImage:  Adidas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n6. Argentina\nArgentina's vertically striped home kits are among the most iconic in soccer. Adidas does good job of not messing with tradition here, while the  albiceleste's darker away duds look sharp too. Final score: 9.1/10\n\nImage:  Adidas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n7. Netherlands\nThe Netherlands signature orange home shirts and excellent lion crest give Nike plenty to work with here. But it's the subtle designs on the blue away kit that really win us over. Final score: 9/10\n\nImage:  Nike\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n8. Mexico\nAdidas does El Tri justice here with a killer green home kit (moving the Federaci\u00F3n Mexicana de F\u00FAtbol Asociaci\u00F3n's crest to the middle of the shirt is a nice touch). The blood-red away kits should look awesome in Brazil as well. Final score: 8.8/10\n\nImage:  Adidas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n9. France\nLess is more with France's 2014 kits from Nike. The blue home kit is classic and timeless, while horizontal gray striping takes the white away shirt to another level. Final score: 8.7/10\n\nImage:  Nike\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n10. Cameroon\nPuma pulled out all the stops for Cameroon's green home jersey. The relief designs, vivid coloring and traditional lion crest (the squad's amazing nickname is the Indomitable Lions) add up to a classic. That gold away number isn't shabby either. Final score: 8.5/10. \n\nImage:  Puma\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n11. Japan\nAnother excellent balancing act between tradition and boldness. Japan's blue home kits don't contain any huge surprises, but that neon away uni is something else entirely. Both look mighty fine, however. Final score: 8.4/10\n\nImage:  Adidas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n12. England\nNike goes for a classic look on both England's home and away kits. Neither takes any real risks, but they both look pretty sweet. That yellow goalie shirt isn't bad either. Final score: 8.2/10\n\nImage:  Nike\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n13. Croatia\nThose checkers! We have a feeling you'll either love or hate Croatia's unique national team kits, but we are definitely in the pro-check camp. The red and white checks look even better when used as trim on Croatia's blue away shirts. Final score: 8/10\n\nImage:  Nike\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n14. Belgium\nBelgium's three looks offer plenty of variety but it's the big crown in-lay that goes a long way for us. Final score: 7.8/10\n\nImage:  Burrda Sport\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n15. Cote D'Ivoire\nPuma deserves credit for letting the Ivory Coast's lovely green and orange colors do the heavy lifting here. The country's elephant crest is also among the coolest in soccer. Final score: 7.6/10\n\nImage:  Tom Oldham Photography/Puma\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n16. Ghana\nGhana's red away kits are sharp, but it's the creative trim around the collar of the home whites that will have the Black Stars looking extra-super in Brazil. Final score: 7.4/10\n\nImage:  Puma\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n17. Greece\nNike stuck to simplicity for Greece, and the result is a smooth look. Then again, that simplicity doesn't offer anything far out of the ordinary, landing these uniforms in the middle of our power rankings. Final score: 7.2/10\n\nImage:  Nike\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n18. United States\nWhen Nike unveiled the multi-colored USA away kits this spring, many snarkily denigrated them for looking like a summer popsicle. We think they look mighty fine -- but those home white jerseys look too much like something you'd see at a Florida retirement village. Final score: 7/10\n\nImage:  Nike\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n19. Russia\nNot bad, but far from transcendent. The white away kits do feature a unique design that we like. Final score: 6.7/10\n\nImage:  Adidas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n20. Australia\nPoints for simplicity -- but not too many points. Final score: 6.6/10\n\nImage:  Nike\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n21. Switzerland\nThese are ... fine. Final score: 6.3/10\n\nImage:  Tom Oldham Photography/Puma\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n22. Uruguay\nThe blue-on-black home kits are kind of sweet, but this is the World Cup -- we're looking for greatness, not goodness. Final score: 6.2/10\n\nImage:  Tom Oldham Photography/Puma\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n23. Colombia\nAgain, good but not great (in our humble opinion, of course). Final score: 6/10\n\nImage:  Adidas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n24. Algeria\nSome nice touches -- the crescent moon and light green color give a good starting point -- but, overall, not a lot going on. Final score: 5.8/10\n\nImage:  Puma\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n25. Chile\nChile is an interesting dark-horse contender in Brazil, but its uniforms won't be generating a ton of buzz. We do like the red home kit's blue collar though. Final score: 5.7/10\n\nImage:  Tom Oldham Photography/Puma\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n26. Costa Rica\nEhhhh, these are okay. Final score: 5.6/10\n\nImage:  Lotto Sport\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n27. Ecuador\nThey definitely don't suck. But they definitely aren't that memorable, either. Final score: 5.5/10\n\nImage:  Marathon Sports\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n28. Nigeria\nNigeria's green and white flag offers a rich starting point, but we wish there was more going on here. Final score: 5.4\n\nImage:  Adidas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n29. Honduras\nCool T-shirt? Yes. Cool World Cup jersey? Less so. Final score: 5.3/10\n\nImage:  Joma\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n30. South Korea\nPretty pedestrian, plus those differently-colored shoulder stripes on the white away kits look a little odd. Final score: 5.1/10\n\nImage:  Nike\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n31. Iran\nThat's a cool in-lay, but these are otherwise pretty meh. Final score: 5/10\n\nImage:  uhlSport\n\n\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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