Konami signs FIFA deal for FIFAe World Cups featuring eFootball

• Konami and FIFA have agreed to host FIFAe World Cups featuring eFootball
• Players can compete on console or mobile

Konami has signed an esports collaboration agreement with FIFA for 2024’s FIFAe world champions.

Towards this end, two FIFAe World Cups featuring eFootball are being held - one for console and one for mobile - with players able to represent one of the 18 nations invited to attend.

The invited countries span Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East but don’t include the US. Specific regions were selected based on their player base and previous performance in competitions, but other nationalities can still participate in the qualifying rounds by choosing their favourite of the listed countries.

Higher-level tournaments will be reserved for players from one of the 18 eligible nationalities, however, listed in full on eFootball’s website.

Two companies, two platforms, two crowns

Qualifying rounds for the FIFAe World Cup begin today, October 10th, for both console and mobile. Matches on console will be played 2v2, but mobile players will go solo in 1v1 games.

To participate in the FIFAe World Cup 2024, players will first need to pass a qualifier phase consisting of three rounds. On mobile, those three rounds will play out in Dream Team mode, but thereafter, eligible players must use an authentic team.

The high-level tournament schedule hasn’t yet been revealed, but sometime this year, champions of this inaugural collaboration will be crowned.

This deal between the two companies comes two years after FIFA and EA parted ways.

"At Konami, we have continued to take on challenges in the development of football simulation and esports," said Konami Digital Entertainment senior executive officer Koji Kobayashi.

"We are very pleased to be able to contribute to the promotion of eFootball in a new dimension through this collaboration with FIFAe. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to FIFA for providing us with this opportunity. We can't wait for the FIFAe World Cup to begin."

FIFA CBO Romy Gai added: "We are incredibly excited to join forces with Konami. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to promote football globally and to provide a platform for players to showcase their skills. We truly believe in an inclusive ecosystem which allows different communities to be part of the FIFAe competitions”.

A representative of the Japan Football Association also commented: "eFootball has been loved by people all over the world for many years, and it has also gained a firm following in Japan, establishing itself as an essential platform for the football family. The newly launched FIFAe World Cup featuring eFootball will become the pinnacle of the e-football players' dreams."