I know next to nothing about Soccer (aka “Football” pretty much everywhere except the U.S.), and I think that’s because when I was growing up in the 1980s, no one around me played it. You pretty much played baseball or nothing, so when the whole soccer culture started rising in the U.S. and opened the door for the commonplace “soccer moms” of today, it became a very foreign thing to me – much like the currently in-progress World Cup. A lot of eyes are on Rio right now, and my oldest (almost five) has inquired about soccer (a coach lives on our street) and my youngest (2 today!) already says “soccer ball.” But who is the world’s leading producer of soccer balls? According to German toymaker PLAYMOBIL, they are – having manufactured over 11.6 million miniature soccer balls since 2006, when Germany hosted the World Cup. It was that year that they introduced figures that can kick in honor of the Berlin games, and now they’ve got a whole line of cool, soccer-based sets for kids and parents to enjoy. Let’s take a look at a selection from that line…
Please note that all of these sets could be a Choking Hazard. They contain small balls and small parts, and are not for children under 3 years.
Take Along Soccer Match (#4725): With the Playmobil Take Along Soccer Match you can dribble your way across the field to victory! With six athlete figures primed and ready to play, this set comes fully equipped with everything kids need to have a complete game experience. Goalie figures connect to an included goal joystick that allows kids to control the goalies’ movements from behind the goal net. This compactable and travel-ready set also includes a 22 x 33 inch field, soccer ball and other accessories. Recommended for ages five to ten.
Soccer Shoot Out (#4726): Score the tie-breaking goal with the Playmobil Soccer Shoot Out. Two figures compete to see who can score the most goals and win the match. The working digital scoreboard with timer keeps track of points and ensures a fair match. Set also includes goal area, two orange cones and soccer ball.
Referees (#4728): The referee and 2 linesmen are ready for action. Warn the players with the cards to prevent misbehaving. Set includes whistle, flags and yellow and red cards.
And then there’s individual players, each with a leg that kicks and their own soccer ball. Germany (#4729), Spain (#4730), England (#4732), France (#4733), Netherlands (#4735) and Brazil (#4799) are all available now.
