After breaking up with EA, FIFA enters into an unexpected partnership with Konami, from eFootball

After almost 30 years of history, 2022 marked a radical change in the old FIFAwhich had to change its name after licensing conflicts between EA Sports and the International Football Federation — which ended up causing the creation of EA Sports FC.

Now, in an unexpected decision to say the least, FIFA has signed a new partnership with Konami, which owns the main competitor of the current EA Sports FC, the old game in the franchise. The collaboration will allow the former rival to provide the eFootball (formerly known as PES) as the stage for two eSports tournaments with the International Football Federation.

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— eFootballHUB (@Peshubapp) October 10, 2024

eFootball will be the stage for two FIFAe World Cups

As part of the initiative to bring together the best players from different countries around the world, two FIFA World Cups with eFootball are scheduled to take place later this year — on both mobile devices and consoles. The dates, however, have not yet been revealed.

“The aim of this collaboration is to further increase the joy of the global football community through eSports,” Konami and FIFA said in a statement. “By allowing players to represent their nations through dedicated competitions, this initiative will take community connection to a new level.”

Competition will have players from 18 different countries

The qualifiers for the FIFAe World Cup, in fact, begin this Thursday (10). The competition will feature players from 18 countries, including Argentina, Costa Rica, England, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and , certainly, Brazil.

FIFA and Konami executives.Fonte: VGC

“At Konami, we continue to take on challenges in the development of football simulation and eSports. We are very pleased to be able to contribute to the promotion of eFootball in a new dimension through this collaboration with FIFAe”, said Koji Kobayashi, senior executive at Konami.

FIFA Chief Business Officer Romy Gai added: “We are incredibly excited to join forces with Konami. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to promote football globally and provide a platform for players to showcase their skills.”

More official information can be found on the official website of FIFA and from Konami. What did you think of this unexpected partnership? Tell us on social media Voxel!