England forms football esports team eLions for Fifa representation
The FA has partnered with ESL to form a national football eSports team called the eLions - but first, the side is looking to recruit from the nation's best Fifa players.
England forms football esports team eLions for Fifa representation
ESL is to host online qualifiers on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 March where four league finalists will be invited to central London for a final showdown Thursday 14 March.
The tournament is open to all FIFA 19 players on PS4 or Xbox One over the age of 16 -0 the winner will be charged with representing their country on the global stage.
Mark Bullingham, FA chief commercial & development officer, said: “This presents an exciting opportunity for Three Lions fans to help form a new chapter in England’s history. The FA prides itself on being a modern, innovative organisation that strives to engage and inspire all generations of football fans. Fifa 19 is played by hundreds of millions of players daily with many selecting our male and female players so we have a great chance to engage with these as part of our efforts to continue to grow the game in England. ”
Luis Vicente, Fifa's chief digital transformation & innovation officer, said: "The involvement of our member associations with a dedicated nations tournament is another significant and exciting step forward for Fifa and the development of eFootball globally. After the successful introduction of the Fifa eClub World Cup in recent years and the new team mode, we are looking forward to integrating this nation vs nation competition into our eFootball portfolio.”
Men and women are invited to participate for the spot although the group indicated it may branch out the competitions by gender much like in football. It shows the increasing importance of eSports as a way of keeping football relevant with young audiences.