FIFA to hold Man of the Match votes on Twitter

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) FIFA will let fans decide the official Man of the Match for World Cup games via a vote on Twitter.

Football's governing body and official World Cup sponsor Budweiser are hoping that taking the vote to social media will increase the number of fans who vote during each game. In 2010, the vote was only accessible on the FIFA website.

At this year's tournament, the voting will open on Twitter at the start of the second half of each game, with fans able to click on a picture of their chosen player and register their vote via the hashtag ManoftheMatch.

FIFA's marketing director Thierry Weil says the process gives fans ''the opportunity to be part of the sport they love.''

Voting will be available in six languages - English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Arabic.