FIFA has considered Konami its new partner for the popular football series eSports scene.
Both companies are collaborating on a new tournament for consoles and mobile devices that begins today, October 10, and will last throughout the rest of the year. This collaboration, according to the press release“will further increase the joy of the global football community through eSports.”
According to the agreement, the FIFAe World Cup will feature players from 18 participating countries, including Brazil, Argentina, England, Japan and Morocco. You can view the full list of countries Here.
Despite this partnership, it doesn't appear that Konami is tasked with making new FIFA games. In 2022, the football league and EA have concluded their ten-year partnershipresulting in the latter's rebranding into EA Sports FC series.
That pivot, which began in earnest last year, was a “deep” winner for EA. Meanwhile, Konami's football series, eFootballsucceeded the original Pro Evolution Soccer franchise as of 2021.
Several international football federations highlighted the popularity of eFootball in the press release and expressed their enthusiasm for participating in the tournament.
Qualifying for the FIFAe Cup will last until Sunday 20 October. The nomination phase will begin the following week, from Monday 28 October to Sunday 3 November. The last round of the tournament will be held offline and its schedule will be determined at a later time.
“This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to promote football globally and provide a platform for players to showcase their skills,” wrote Romy Gai, FIFA's chief business officer.
More information about the FIFAe World Cup 2024 can be read Here.