FIFA Partners with Konami on eFootball: FIFAe World Cup Collaboration Brings Esports to a Global Stage

In a groundbreaking move for football gaming and esports, FIFA has officially announced a partnership with Konami to launch a joint esports initiative under the banner of the FIFAe World Cup featuring eFootball.

This collaboration follows FIFA’s split from EA Sports, which previously held the exclusive video game license for the global football organization, and marks a significant new chapter for both franchises.

Unlike prior arrangements, this partnership does not involve Konami taking over the FIFA license or a rebranding of its renowned football series, eFootball—formerly known as Pro Evolution Soccer (PES).

Instead, the primary goal is to "further boost the joy of the global football community through esports," according to official statements by both organizations.

This announcement bridges years of rivalry between the FIFA and PES franchises, bringing together two of the biggest names in digital football. The collaboration will kick off with two global tournaments under the title 'FIFAe World Cup featuring eFootball.' These competitions are open to participants playing on mobile and PlayStation consoles (PS5, PS4), with qualifiers already underway.

Aspiring esports athletes must advance through three rounds of in-game eFootball qualifiers for a chance to represent one of 18 national teams in the finals.

Details around qualification and the full list of eligible nations can be viewed on the official Konami website. Countries represented in this year's tournaments include Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, England, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea Republic, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Thailand, and Türkiye.

Notably, the Nintendo Switch is not among the supported platforms for this event.

Currently, Konami's free-to-play eFootball is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC, and mobile devices, leaving out Nintendo’s popular hybrid handheld-console platform for this specific competitive outing. The partnership between FIFA and Konami comes at a pivotal moment in the football gaming landscape.

For years, FIFA and PES competed fiercely for both critical acclaim and fan loyalty.

With EA Sports launching its own original football franchise, EA Sports FC 25, last month, the market is now more diverse than ever.

The new title from EA Sports was met with positive critical reception, particularly for its Switch version, which has been lauded as "the new best football game on Switch." For football fans and esports enthusiasts, the FIFA-KONAMI collaboration signals a renewed focus on international competition and expanded access to esports events, though Switch players will have to look elsewhere for their tournament fix, at least for now.

With the eFootball and FIFAe World Cup events set to make their debut, the future of football gaming looks set to remain exciting and highly competitive.

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