One of the largest international sporting events in the world, the 2014 World Cup has made its way into space, as astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are getting into the spirit.

According to io9.com, ISS crewmembers showed off their soccer skills in zero gravity, but of course the ability to float in mid-air essentially allows anyone to perform a bicycle kick. Reid Wiseman and Steve Swanson (USA) and German astronaut Alexander Gerst appeared in a video wishing luck to the players down on the ground.

Neither Germany nor the U.S. start their World Cup schedule until Monday, when the latter faces Ghana and former sees Portugal. Both the Germans and the Americans have found themselves accompanied by Portugal and Ghana in the unofficially titled "group of death." Group G has arguably the most talent and will therefore be the hardest to win.

Wiseman, whose Twitter feed is an endless stream of stunning pictures from space, did not disappoint. He posted photos of Rio and Sao Paulo lit up on the first night of the World Cup, followed by a picture of the weather overhead the next day.

Before the start of the tournament, NASA tested the aerodynamic features of the official World Cup soccer ball, the Adidas-developed Brazuca ball, the space agency reported in a press release. Though NASA does not design the official ball of the soccer tournament, FIFA allows various engineers to explore aerodynamics with students and with the general public.

"Sports provide a great opportunity to introduce the next generation of researchers to our field of aerodynamics by showing them something they can relate to," Rabi Mehta, experimental aero-physics chief at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., said in the release.

Unlike last World Cup's Jabulani ball, the Brazuca ball was designed to be more stable in the air. Goalkeepers said they hated the Jabulani ball because it took unexpected movements mid-flight, though the ball handlers used it to their advantage.

"The players should be happier with the new ball," Mehta said. "It is more stable in flight and will handle more like a traditional 32-panel ball."