FIFAe, the esports branch of football governing body FIFA, has partnered with British game developer Sports Interactive to launch the FIFAe World Cup of Football Manager.
The inaugural edition, taking place between August 29th and September 1st, features a $100,000 prize pool.
Football Manager is a series of football management simulation games developed by Sports Interactive. Despite the game’s popularity, the franchise doesn’t have a robust esports ecosystem. However, notable Football Manager tournaments include the FM Streamer Showdown and the £25,000 World Esports Championship which took place at Insomnia Gaming Festival in 2018.
For Football Manager’s first FIFAe World Cup, selected member associations will be invited to be represented at the final event. These invitations will be based on eligibility and number of players per nation. Interested players can visit FIFAe’s website for more information on their region’s qualification process.
In addition, Arsène Wenger, Chief of Global Football Development at FIFA and former manager of football club Arsenal, has been appointed as the tournament’s ambassador. The football manager icon was also part of the World Cup’s announcement video.
In a press release, Wenger shared: “I look forward to being part of this exciting new journey. This competition requires participants to demonstrate a profound understanding of football strategy and tactics. Success demands not only mastery of game mechanics but also in-depth football knowledge, making this format a fascinating blend.”
As the esports branch of FIFA, FIFAe previously organised a range of football simulation tournaments in collaboration with Electronic Arts, most notably the FIFAe World Cup. With the game publisher moving away with the EA FC Series, FIFAe recently announced the return of its World Cup as a Rocket League competition.
Throughout the last year, FIFAe has also collaborated with companies such as mental health brand Calm, mental health charity Ditch the Label and esports data company HUDstats.
