FIFA says Rocket League counts as "football esports."
World football governing body FIFA has announced that it’s teaming up with Rocket League to add the rocket-powered cars playing football game to its FIFA esports (FIFAe) World Cup this year, with 16 nations from around the world invited. The event was announced on X, formerly Twitter, where the FIFA esports account asked what nations fans wanted to see compete.
Welcome to #FIFAe, @RLEsports! 🌟⚽The first-ever FIFAe World Cup featuring @RocketLeague 🚀Which nation would you like to see compete? Let us know by commenting with your flag! 👀 pic.twitter.com/3tMgwAPWVIJune 23, 2024
In a press release FIFAe called this “a major step in FIFA’s commitment to embrace the entire ecosystem and drive the global growth of football esports globally.” Which to me sounds like FIFAe recognizes that, despite the jet-powered cars and giant ball and silly hats, the fictional sport in Rocket League is an official a relative of football. Puts paid to those obnoxious armchair taxonomists saying Rocket League “isn’t soccer” on social media circa 2015.
I’m not bitter or anything, I just like to win debates with obnoxious pedants. Even if it’s nearly a decade late.
The teams from the chosen countries will be three players with one alternate, and will compete in their nation’s colors. The sixteen countries will be chosen based on the number of representatives they put in previous Rocket League Majors, which seems sensible enough.
Those chosen participating member associations will host their own qualification tournaments to choose the players who’ll represent their country at the FIFAe World Cup. Potential players can sign up for FIFA’s esports platform and pick Rocket League as their chosen game at FIFA.GG.
FIFA says they’ll announce more information about the event and which associations will participate at a later date.
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