The first ever Balloon World Cup happened in Tarragona, Spain.

It was inspired by a series of  popular videos from the Arrendondo family in Oregon, US, as three siblings played the game during COVID-19 lockdown and posted the fun on social media.

Barcelona soccer player Gerard Pique and internet celebrity Ibai Llanos organized the tournament. Teams of 32 countries participated, with Francesco De La Cruz of Peru emerging as the first champion. He beat German Jan Spiess in the final on an 8m x 8m court littered with living room furniture and a small car as obstacles.

The rules are simple. Players have to hit the balloon upward, and they score points if their opponent fails to stop it from touching the ground.

Difficult words: emerge (to appear), litter (to make a place untidy with rubbish or a large number of objects left lying around), obstacle (something that blocks the way and movement is difficult).