FIFA has partnered with Konami to include the gaming giant’s football simulation game eFootball as one of the titles in the FIFAe World Cup, a video game tournament featuring football gaming titles. Other video game titles to be included at the tournament are Epic Games’ Rocket League and Sega’s Football Manager. FIFA has partnered with the Japan-based game publisher after being associated with its rival Electronic Arts for 30 years.
India is among 18 countries officially invited to participate in eFootball at the global tournament, joining nations such as Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Spain, and Portugal. The top-performing athletes from each country will face off in the finals later this year across both mobile and console platforms.
In a country where mobile gaming dominates and interest in football continues to rise, India’s talented gamers now have the opportunity to compete for glory on the global stage in eFootball at the FIFAe World Cup.
According to the India Games Market Report 2023 by Niko Partners, India is primarily a mobile-first market, with 96.8 per cent of gamers using smartphones or tablets. The total number of gamers across all platforms is expected to reach 641.2 million by 2027.
With India at the forefront of the mobile gaming revolution and eFootball available for free download, the country’s vast base of mobile gamers have the chance to turn their passion into success on the international stage. The free-to-play aspect also facilitates easier training and participation for India’s talented mobile gamers across all backgrounds, eliminating barriers that typically limit access to high-level competitive play.
Sharing his thoughts on the opportunity this presents for India’s esports industry, Nodwin Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee said, “This collaboration between FIFA and Konami to bring eFootball into the FIFAe World Cup is a significant moment for Indian esports. India’s inclusion in this global event is a source of immense national pride. The accessibility of a free-to-play game like eFootball ensures wider participation, and with FIFA fueling the esports ecosystem, we are witnessing the seamless integration of sports and esports—ushering in new opportunities for Indian gamers to shine on the world stage.”
Earlier this year, Konami claimed that eFootball has surpassed 700 million total downloads worldwide.
Despite being a nation passionate about football, India has yet to compete in the FIFA World Cup. With the qualifiers for eFootball already underway, the nation’s talented esports athletes have the chance to bridge that gap by qualifying to represent the country at the FIFAe World Cup.