Baby giant pandas play their own World Cup Some of the panda cubs seemed more interested in baskets than scoring.

A giant panda conservation organization in China's Sichuan province staged a soccer-themed photo op on Sunday to show giant panda cubs playing with and near soccer balls.

Workers at the Shenshuping Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda also strung a set of national flags in the panda enclosure to evoke the international spirit of the 2018 World Cup finals currently underway in Russia.

The photos depict the cubs, who are all less than 1 year old, seeming to show more interest in playing with flags and baskets than the balls.

China failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup, but the Russian state news agency Tass reported that over 100,000 Chinese fans traveled to Russia for the games.