Could virtual football tournaments become just as big as the World Cup?
Tournaments such as the FIFAe World Cup are growing in popularity.
While everyone’s looking forward to the 2026 World Cup this summer, are we perhaps starting to see early signs of gaming tournaments becoming more popular instead?
With criticism that World Cup tickets are likely to cost a fortune, we’re likely to see growing numbers of fans priced out of attending the beautiful game in the flesh, and is it even worth the long trip when the players on show are likely to be exhausted and burnt out after the gruelling club football schedule that has already negatively affected the quality and entertainment value of the Premier League this season?
FIFA and Konami teamed up for an eFootball World Cup back in December, and if you think it sounds crazy that people would bother watching a bunch of random guys playing video games against each other, then you probably aren’t aware of YouTubers like KSI who have tens of millions of subscribers who regularly tune in to watch.
Whether it’s to learn tricks, improve their skills, or simply watch for the fun of it, there’s clearly a growing market for virtual football games, especially as over time we’ll see Millennials and Gen Z’s outnumber the older generations of football fans.
Football video games also have huge money-making potential
Millions of people get the new EA Sports FC game every year (formally the FIFA franchise before they split in 2022) and there’s also the free-to-play eFootball by Konami, who formerly made Pro Evolution Soccer.
Even though the latter is technically free to download, there are tons of in-game purchases that users can make to improve their team, adding to the fun of the gameplay by combining elements of Football Manager and Fantasy Football into the mix.
It can become a little hard to keep on top of your spending when it comes to online gaming like this, which is where having an Aircash card on Eneba can come in useful for a variety of reasons.
Being able to top up online and set yourself spending limits can make everything more convenient and run more smoothly.
Either way, these virtual purchases are far more affordable than some of the crazy prices we’re seeing for tickets to the World Cup, as well as rising costs for things like England kits. With these developments meaning real life football is no longer the game of the 99%, is it surprising that the modern football fan is moving towards virtual gaming?