Konami Digital Entertainment announced earlier this week that it will continue its partnership with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to promote the development of football esports worldwide through FIFAe competitions brands through 2025 and 2026.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
FIFAe World Cup featuring eFootball on mobile and on console will be held again this and next year, according to the announcement. Konami added that it expects the number of participating nations to increase with a worldwide open qualification process. The FIFAe World Cup 2024 featuring eFootball on mobile and console held in December 2024 saw more than 14 million players representing 18 nations participate online, according to Konami’s data.
The announcement was formally made at Konami’s eFootball World Festival in Tokyo on Monday, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of the eFootball series. During the stage event, the company revealed the extension of the partnership agreement with FIFA.
This year, the FIFAe World Cup 2025 aims to increase the number of participating nations and players with the cooperation of FIFPRO, or the Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels (the international professional football players association).
Konami also announced that the FIFAe World Cup 2025 featuring eFootball on mobile and console will be held in Saudi Arabia in December as part of the FIFAe Finals 2025.
Detailed schedules and entry guidelines for the 2025 competition will be announced at a later date.