Yahoo! En Espanol today announced that it will bring its World Cup coverage to life online for U.S. Hispanic users. As part of the broad program, which includes a dedicated and highly customized World Soccer “channel” on the global Yahoo! network, Yahoo! En Espanol will provide fans with complete coverage of the tournament including customized content across multiple platforms and innovative new products.

As hundreds of millions of soccer fans prepare for the world’s biggest sporting event, Yahoo! En Espanol is launching its first global initiative, which features microsites, compelling mobile experiences, fantasy games, and Yahoo! Search tools for more than 20 countries in 12 languages. To find out more, U.S. Hispanic users can go to http://g.espanol.sports.yahoo.com/futbol/mundial/.

“The World Cup evokes more passion than any other sporting event in existence, and as the historic 2010 event in South Africa approaches, Yahoo! is rolling out its first global initiative to deliver the most captivating, engaging experience to soccer fans around the world,” said Armando Rodriguez, general manager, Yahoo! Hispanic Americas. “By delivering uninterrupted access to soccer coverage, scores, games, events, and athletes to fans everywhere and in their own language, Yahoo! continues to execute on its vision to be the center of people’s online lives.”

Yahoo! Innovation for the World’s Largest Sports Event

Yahoo!’s position as a technology leader continues as it applies innovation to this year’s biggest sporting event. The company is providing consumers:

New Shortcuts in Yahoo! Search results which will launch in more than 25 markets throughout the summer. These Shortcuts will provide rich information such as photos, videos, schedules, live scores, stats, team information and news, right on the Search results page.

Real-time scores, schedules and breaking news, all of which fans can have at their fingertips by downloading the Yahoo! Toolbar with World Cup coverage. The toolbar can be customized with a country-themed skin to support any competing team.

Yahoo! Sports World Soccer 2010, a pick’em style fantasy soccer game, which lets U.S. Hispanic fans select winners for each round of the World Cup at http://espanol.wc.fantasysports.yahoo.com/.

Yahoo! Penalty Shootout, an online game that allows fans to face-off in a virtual penalty kick competition. U.S. Hispanic fans will be able to play the game at http://espanol.penalty.yahoo.com starting at the end of May. Soccer fans will be able to compete with friends, other fans, and sworn soccer rivals from around the world for a chance to win the Yahoo! Sports Pass (El Pasaporte de Yahoo! Deportes), tickets to any four premier sporting events in the world per year for the next four years. That’s any sporting event anywhere, courtesy of Yahoo!.