FIFAe, the esports branch of international football governing body FIFA, has announced that more than 120 nations will participate across its esports ecosystem during the 2026 season.
The nations will compete through the ecosystem’s qualification pathways to earn places at FIFAe’s major tournaments. Additional information regarding the specific nations taking part in competitions will be released at a later date, according to FIFAe.
2026 Tournament Titles and Formats
The 2026 FIFAe season includes events in Rocket League and eFootball for both console and mobile platforms. The tournaments are designed to allow players across all platforms to compete and represent their nations.
This year’s eFootball Mobile event introduces a new two-versus-two format. FIFAe states the format aims to highlight team-based esports while mirroring the structure used in eFootball’s console tournament.
Qualification Structure and Finals Location
Qualifiers for FIFAe events will take place throughout the year, beginning with the FIFAe Nations League. The Nations League serves as the foundation for nation-based tournaments. Teams that advance from the Nations League will earn spots in continental qualifiers. These continental competitions determine which nations qualify for the FIFAe Finals.
The FIFAe Finals are scheduled to take place later in 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
New Ranking and Performance Systems
FIFAe will introduce two new statistical features displayed on its website for the 2026 season: the World Rankings and the FIFAe Performance Index. According to a FIFAe blog post, these additions are designed to enhance storytelling throughout the year.
Background: FIFA’s Esports Expansion
Since FIFA and EA Sports ended their partnership in 2022, FIFA has continued to expand its esports offerings through collaborations with other football video game titles.
In December 2025, FIFAe confirmed the return of Football Manager esports as part of the FIFAe Club World Cup. The competition will feature a nation-versus-nation format to determine the world’s top virtual football managers.
The 2024 FIFAe Football Manager esports event was won by Indonesia’s Ichsan Taufiq, who secured the largest portion of the tournament’s $100,000 prize pool.
Participation Milestone
FIFAe states that more than half of FIFA’s Member Associations are taking part in the 2026 season. The organization describes this as the largest FIFAe season in its history.