I never thought I would see the day when FIFA's esports World Cup was played in Konami eFootball

EA announced its decision to end its long-standing agreement with FIFA in May 2022. The publisher's executives had long complained that they were paying an enormous royalty and had done more to grow the FIFA name to where it is now. So, the decision was taken to drop the FIFA branding and become EA Sports FC.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA's president, sputtering, said that FIFA would endorse the "best" game, regardless of whether it was developed by EA or not. Since then, FIFA's offerings have been a disaster. They include Roblox experiences and some truly embarrassing World Cup web 3.0 Games. It was clearly not prepared for the end of EA and had no replacement ready for the incredibly talented and well-resourced EA Sports developers.

I always thought there was an obvious option that FIFA wasn't exploring. Finally, someone has woken up. FIFA and Konami announced a collaboration agreement in esports for the FIFAe World Cup. The tournament will be played later this year using eFootball - Konami's less well-known EA Sports FC competitor. Qualifying began today. There will be two competitions across console and mobile, but, surprisingly, there won't be a tournament on PC.

The set-up is a bit confusing. The FIFAe World Cup features 18 nations including traditional footballing powers like Argentina, Brazil and France, and yes, England. These were selected based on "different factors, such as player base, and previous performances of the respective countries." Anyone who plays eFootball is eligible to enter. Just be aware that you could end up representing Costa Rica.

It is more important to note that this is only the beginning of a closer partnership between FIFA and Konami. This pairing would have been unimaginable just a decade ago. Pro Evolution Soccer, eFootball’s predecessor, was the only game to ever be considered second fiddle behind EA’s FIFA games. PES was always outsold but in the 2000s, it was undoubtedly the superior game. eFootball may have had some teething issues, but it's the only realistic competitor to EA Sports FC.

It doesn't yet have. The FIFAe World Cup will be held in eFootball but the game won't become "FIFAeFootball". If that's not where the two companies will eventually go with this, I'd be surprised. Each side has what the other needs.

Koji Kobayashi, senior executive officer at Konami, said: "We have continued to tackle challenges in the development and growth of football simulations and esports." "We are delighted to be able contribute to the promotion eFootball on a new level through this collaboration with FIFAe. We would like FIFA to know how grateful we are for this opportunity.

The press material contains a lot of comments from national associations who seem to be on board with the idea. (Or are just happy it's not taking place in Roblox.) Konami is quietly making progress in eFootball, hosting the Championship 2024 Club Event with European clubs this year, as well as the eJLeague, in collaboration with JLeague. So, at the very least this should run smoothly.

Romy Gai, FIFA's Romy, says: "We are extremely excited to join forces Konami." This collaboration is in line with our mission of promoting football globally and providing a platform for athletes to showcase their talents.

It hasn't yet happened, and it may never happen, but I wonder if I will ever see a Konami soccer game with FIFA branding. EA's FIFA reached a new level of quality in 2009, and this, along with the authority and reach that the FIFA brand brought, made it feel like the game finally ended PES. Konami had the guts to reimagine their series and come back in eFootball, but it's still been a struggle. It remains to be determined if this is a beginning of a bigger collaboration, but it reminds one of the old adage, "If you can't defeat 'em join 'em."