Football’s Coming Home, you might have heard, with England sweeping through the World Cup stages in Russia and into the semi-finals against Croatia.
Football’s also coming home in the virtual world too – the FIFA eWorld Cup 2018 Grand Final will take place at The O2 in London from August 2nd to 4th.
The FIFA esports tournament has seen more than 20 million players whittled down to the final 32, who will be competing for $400,000 in prize money:
- Winner: $250,000
- Runner-up: $50,000
- Semi-finalists: $20,000
- Quarter-finalists: $10,000
- Round of 16: $2,500
Arsenal and Germany footballer Mesut Özil has been announced as the official ambassador for the FIFA eWorld Cup.
“I have followed the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series throughout the year and I am really impressed by the performances of the Grand Finalists so far,” Özil said.
“I am excited to be part of their journey and look forward to welcoming them in London. I know that playing at a FIFA World Cup and representing your country is a highlight for all athletes and something truly unforgettable.”
“I have followed the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series throughout the year and I am really impressed by the performances of the Grand Finalists so far”
Mesut Özil
Welcome to my city! ?? #London #Ambassador #FIFAeWorldCup pic.twitter.com/iNFG3I5Pvv
— Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) July 6, 2018
This is the second time the competition will take place in London, following last year’s finale at Central Hall Westminster, which saw UK player Spencer “Gorilla” Ealing win the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2017 trophy.
It looks like the tournament is taking place in the actual arena. For example, in 2017 the Vainglory Unified Championship took place in the separate studio Building Six at the O2.
But the ticketing page shows the seats available:
FIFA’s Chief Commercial Officer Philippe Le Floc’h commented: “Competitive FIFA gaming has experienced fantastic growth in both viewership and participation over the last few years, and the FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Final will gather the best FIFA 18 players from around the world in one place.
“London will provide a great location for this tournament. FIFA and our partner EA SPORTS look forward to welcoming fans to this thrilling event.”
Tickets for the FIFA eWorld Cup 2018 Grand Final at The O2 in London are now available on the FIFA eWorld Cup ticketing platform. They range from £10 for standard tickets to £25 for VIP ones, but after service charges a standard ticket costs £14.50.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
