ESPORTS: FIFAe World Cup shifts to Rocket League

The world’s global governing body for football has announced the return of the FIFAe World Cup, this time competing in the hit vehicle football game, Rocket League.

In a press release, FIFA says the move signifies a major step in FIFA’s commitment to drive the global growth of football esports globally. “The partnership brings the intensity and excitement of the FIFAe nations’ narrative to an electrifying new stage and allows players to fame their game in their nation’s colors,” FIFA said in its statement.

Esports Insider has reported that since 2023, FIFA no longer has its own official game, with Electronic Arts or EA stepping away from the EA FC series. Last year’s FIFAe World Cup was also the last to feature the FIFA game series.

The partnership with Rocket League’s creators was unveiled at the RLCS London Major. The choice of Rocket League over EA FC’s direct competitor, eFootball, came as a surprise to many.

Details about the upcoming event are limited, but FIFA has announced that it will be open to all players through the official FIFA website. Nations will be selected based on the number of representatives from each country in previous Rocket League Majors. For instance, the London Major had nine players from the USA, seven from France, and six from Australia, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, FIFA’s member countries will have the opportunity to host their own qualification tournaments to select their representatives.

This partnership is FIFA’s first venture outside of the EA FC series in the realm of esports. 

Christian Volk, Director of eFootball and Gaming at FIFA, stated: “The FIFAe World Cup featuring Rocket League marks a new era for FIFAe, providing a groundbreaking platform for FIFA’s member associations to compete on one of the most relevant esports titles. This milestone partnership highlights our commitment to evolve our football esports ecosystem and continue to build the biggest stages for all communities to fame their game.”