Playing Soccer In Space Looks More Fun Than It Is On Earth

If you think soccer is a blast on grass, you should try it in space.

To celebrate the start of the 2014 World Cup today, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Steve Swanson and Alexander Gerst put on a little demo of microgravity soccer aboard the International Space Station. Just check it out in the video above -- you'll get a kick out of it.

The crew also gave a little pep talk to the soccer teams back on Earth.

"Have fun," Wiseman says in the video. "Play hard, and we'll be watching on the International Space Station."

Much like Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, this crew has been highly visible and engaged online. You may already be familiar with Wiseman, who got raves for posting the first 'Vine' from space on social media.

When they're not aiming to connect with soccer fans, the crew has other goals -- including conducting research on the health risks of long-duration space flights.