If you're already familiar with the popular video game, you may not be that surprised to learn that FIFA betting is a big thing among esports fans! Read on to learn about this renowned e-soccer series, the most popular betting markets, our expert tips and predictions, and much more.
Best FIFA Betting Sites in 2023
Bet £10 Get £30 18+ New customers only. Opt in, and bet £10 on football markets (odds 2.00+). No cash out. Get 6x£5 football free bets at specified odds for set markets, which expire after 7 days. Offer valid from 12:00 UK Time on 25/08/2023. Card payments only. Click for full T&Cs. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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Bet £10 Get £30 18+. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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Bet £10 get £40 18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £10 on any football market at minimum 1/1 odds. No cash out. Get £40 in Free Bets on selected events. Free Bets expire in 7 days. Debit card / Apple Pay payments only. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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Bet £5 Get £20 in Free Bets 18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first 5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x 5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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Bet £10 get £30 18+. New customers using Promo code R30 only. Min £10 stake, min odds ½, free bets paid as 3x £10, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment methods/player/country restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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£30 Matched Free Bet if your first Acca loses + 50 Bonus Spins 18+ Min Deposit: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First bet on a Football or Horse Racing multiple with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00 (2/1) or higher. Free Bets available upon settlement of the qualifying bet. This is offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. 50 Bonus Spins credited on placement of qualifying Acca bet.50x bonus wagering applies as do weighting requirements, bonus Spins only available on selected games and expires 7 days after being awarded. Debit card deposits only (exclusions apply). Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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FIFA – Everything You Need to Know
FIFA is a video game series based on association football that has successfully branched out into the esports sector. Having gained a large following over the years, the latest edition – FIFA 23 – has sold a total of 159.1 million copies in Europe alone, even surpassing Modern Warfare 2.
FIFA 23 is the last edition in the long-running partnership between EA Sports and FIFA, as both companies will part ways to develop separate franchises.
Already possessing the technical expertise to continue the project, EA Sports has already brought about a name change: EA Sports FC. Little is known about FIFA's plans for their franchise, but they've already begun hiring a team to develop their independent vision.
What does this mean for the future of FIFA esports? Well, we're not sure yet. However, as its popularity grows, EA will surely develop its own esports tournaments for the new franchise.
FIFA as an Esport
Esports began its rise in the late 90s with fighting games, in particular Street Fighter II. Over time, many other games held organised and professional tournaments, and in 2004, FIFA joined the ranks with the first FIFA Interactive World Cup. The latter lasted until 2017, with millions of players having participated over the years.
In 2018, this competition was renamed the FIFA eWorld Cup. This name lasted only two years, and in 2020 it was retitled again to the FIFAe World Cup, lining it up with other FIFAe eSports contests.
To date, FIFA organises four separate tournaments, namely the FIFAe World Cup, where the “FUT Champions” compete against each other, the FIFAe Club World Cup, a doubles tournament for club teams, the FIFAe Nations Cup, a competition for national teams, and the FIFAe Continental Cup, a clash between China, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The Rise of FIFA Betting
As an esport, FIFA has seen a steady rise in popularity with each new version of the game. FIFA betting, on the other hand, wasn't very popular until recently. The rapid rise is largely thanks to one thing: the pandemic.
With real-life football on hold, many gamblers were looking for something similar to bet on, and it just so happened that FIFA was the perfect solution. After all, FIFA is based on the “beautiful game” itself, punters found the switch easy, causing the number of bets made on FIFA esports to skyrocket.
Some bookmakers even reported a 100% increase in FIFA betting during lockdowns and restrictions, a trend that hasn't slowed down to this day. As a result, FIFA continues to push the boundaries as one of the most popular esports at the time of writing.
The History of FIFA
EA Sports’ flagship product has been around since the early ’90s, with the first soccer game being released in 1993 under the title FIFA International Soccer. This latter only included national teams and was a massive hit. The following game, FIFA 95, saw the introduction of club teams, although at this point, no real player names were used.
The FIFA series continued to improve over the years making some significant additions to the gameplay. FIFA 98 featured new stadium options, a licensed soundtrack, and a ‘Road to World Cup’ game mode for the first time.
Below are a few of the most notable game modes and features introduced throughout the game's history.
- FIFA 2001: Online – The first time that PC players could play FIFA online.
- FIFA 08: ‘Be a Pro’ mode – Players were given control of a single character in an effort to become the best player in the world.
- FIFA 09: ‘Ultimate Team’ (FUT) – The biggest game mode in FIFA nowadays, ‘Ultimate Team' was included for the first time.
- FIFA 11: ‘Career Mode’ – Replacing the previous ‘Manager Mode’, this allowed players to choose their path as a player, manager or player-manager.
- FIFA 16: Women's National Teams – Female players were added to FIFA for the first time, featuring 12 national team squads.
- FIFA 17: ‘The Journey’ – The first ‘story mode’ in FIFA, this followed Alex Hunter and his journey to become a professional football player, with FIFA 19 featuring the third and final instalment.
- FIFA 23: Women's Leagues – This marked the first inclusion of women's playable domestic leagues.
FIFA Game Covers
FIFA's video game covers have become almost as iconic as the game itself, showcasing the very best in soccer each year.
The first cover for FIFA International Soccer (FIFA 1994) featured England and Poland internationals David Platt and Piotr Swierczewski. The following year, Erik Thorstvedt became the only goalkeeper to ever grace the cover of a FIFA game.
Between 2006 and 2009, Rooney and Ronaldinho featured alongside each other, with Rooney continuing to feature until 2012. This made up a total of seven covers in a row, the most by any player. Following this feat, Messi dominated the cover from 2013 to 2016 while Ronaldo occupied the cover in 2018 and 2019. Kylian Mbappé is the current holder, enjoying his third consecutive year on the cover as of September 2022.
Current E-Soccer FIFA Betting Schedule
The roster for FIFA esports tournaments is growing exponentially as e-soccer becomes more and more popular. Below are the major events for the coming months.
| Date | Tournament |
|---|---|
| Nov 1 – Mar 26 | ePremier League 2022-23 |
| Nov 15 – Mar 26 | V. Bundesliga 22-23 Club Championship |
| Dec 16 – Mar 4 | FIFAe Nations Series 2023 Play-ins |
| Jan 17 – Mar 31 | e-Ligue 1 2023 |
| Jan 31 – Apr 19 | eSerie ATIM 2022-23 |
| Jan 31 – Apr 19 | eLaLiga 2022-23 |
| Feb 25 – Feb 26 | CONMEBOL eLibertadores 2023 |
| Mar 11 – Mar 12 | eMLS Cup 2023 |
| Oct 18 – TBD | eDivise 2022-23 |
| Dec 7 – TBD | eLiga Portugal 2022-23 |
FIFA Esports Gameplay
As is the case with real-life football, FIFA video game matches consist of two competing teams, wherein either one of them has to score more goals than their opponent in order to win a match.
To put it in a nutshell, you play a game of FIFA e-soccer by controlling a team of your choice, made up of real-life players, skills, and attributes. The latest iteration, FIFA 23 offers over 30 official leagues, over 700 professional clubs, and over 19,000 players.
FIFA can be played in single- or multi-player mode, while the maximum number of players allowed on a team varies from one edition to another.
Each FIFA version comes with varying game modes and each tournament comes with a varying set of rules and regulations.
An extremely popular game mode is FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), which enables you to build a virtual team of real-life players from leagues from all around the world to contest on an online or offline setting.
As and when you win a match, you will receive coins which can be used towards buying better players or player packs, the latter of which consist of random players (You can use real money as well). You rise up the ranks by competing online in order to qualify for major Ultimate Team-based eSport eSoccer tournaments.
When you win a match in FIFA, you earn coins that can be spent on buying better players or player packs, which contain random players. To qualify for major Ultimate Team tournaments, you need to climb the online ranks by competing against other players.
With each new version of the game that comes out, advancements in graphics, ball physics, and game modes are revealed, as well as the introduction of new features and improved user-controlled modes.
FIFA Betting Tips and Strategies
When it comes to betting, research is an essential tool to keep in mind. Even a minimal amount can make a significant difference between whether you stand to win or lose your wager. This is particularly important for those new to betting on esports and are still learning the ropes.
Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis is a simple yet effective way to place smarter bets and make more accurate predictions. This includes looking at past results, current rankings, and form guides, all of which will give you further insight into what could happen during a match.Every FIFA tournament is different, which may involve some more research on your end. If you need extra help, there are some excellent esports tipsters who can point you in the right direction.
Watch Matches
Just like in real-life sports, esports players tend to have their own style of play. Some may use defensive tactics, while others might love a high press. Getting to know the outs and ins of a player’s style, and more importantly, their strengths and weaknesses, will really help you make predictions when it matters most.The best way to do this is to watch livestreams of matches, which are usually broadcast through players
Odds Comparison
One strategy which is sure to help you get the most bang for your buck is comparing and contrasting odds for the same match or tournament across different bookmakers. Luckily, we’ve already done some of the work for you by listing some of the best esports betting sites available – all you need to do is choose the one you like best!
In–Play Betting
Live betting (or in-play betting) on FIFA esports involves placing wagers on various outcomes while the game is still in progress. While this allows you to adjust your bets based on the current state of the match, odds can fluctuate rapidly based on the ongoing events, meaning that quick decision-making ability as well as a solid understanding of the game as a whole is needed if you want to be successful here.
Popular FIFA Betting Markets
Outright Winner
- The simplest and most common bet type, this market requires you to predict the team or individual who ends up winning the entire FIFA tournament. Things can be unpredictable here, so be sure to do your research carefully beforehand.
Full Time
- A Full Time bet requires you to predict the winner of a FIFA match. While it does not include extra time or penalties, it does take injury time into account. Most bookies will also offer the option to bet on the First Half result too.
Total Goals
- A Total Goals bet involves predicting the total number of goals that both teams will score in a match, either over or under a specific number set by the bookmaker in question. Compared to real-life football, high-scoring games are more frequent in FIFA esports. It's not uncommon in the latter to witness seven-goal thrillers and the like! As such, by understanding the goal-scoring tendencies of FIFA esports, you can make more informed and potentially profitable betting decisions.
Next Goal
- With this bet, you need to predict the team or player you think will score the next goal. Usually available as a live market, you can also sometimes bet on the time frame within which the next goal will be scored, such as in the next five or ten minutes. Additionally, some sites will also allow you to bet on on the type of goal scored, such as a penalty kick, a free kick, or a header.
3-Way Handicap
- A 3-Way Handicap bet is when a handicap or point spread is applied to a match with three possible outcomes: win, lose, or draw. In this type of betting, the handicap is used to level the playing field between the two teams and offer more favourable odds to bettors. For example, as can be seen from the above-mentioned image, Germany has been handed a Handicap of -1, while Brazil has been handed a Handicap of +1. If you bet on Germany, they must win by two or more goals. If you bet on Brazil, they must either win, or draw a match, at the conclusion of normal time. On the other hand, if you back a Draw, Germany must win by a solitary goal.
Popular FIFA Esports Tournaments
FIFAe Club World Cup
- The FIFAe eClub World Cup is an annual tournament organised by EA Sports, featuring 24 teams consisting of two players each. The teams represent various regions including Europe, North America, South America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. In 2023, the winning team of the FIFAe Club World Cup will receive a prize of $300,000. This event is a significant showcase of the best FIFA esports talent out there, and provides an exciting opportunity for fans to enjoy top-level and nail-biting competition.
FIFAe World Cup
- The FIFAe World Cup is a highly competitive event featuring 32 teams (players) from around the world. To be eligible to participate, players must first be FUT Champions Verified. Once this is confirmed, they must then accumulate enough Global Series Points to rank among the top 64 on the Global Series Rankings, and then finish in the top 32 during the Global Series Playoffs. This intense qualification process ensures that only the best of the best earn the opportunity to compete on the world stage and battle it out for the title of FIFAe World Cup champion.
FIFAe Nations Cup
- With the 2023 edition set to be held in Copenhagen, the Nations Cup is an international competition in which three players represent their nation in a 2v2 tournament. Five regional championships are contested until the top 24 countries advance to the final round. The tournament proper will then commence until a winner is declared.
FIFAe Continental Cup
- The Continental Cup is a unique four-man team tournament, featuring the very best players from China, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. The matches involve a first to three-wins format with up to five matches played – contestants must all at least play once unless a team wins their first three games.
ePremier League
- As you may have already guessed from the name, the ePremier League is based on the real-life English Premier League. The tournament consists of the 20 top-flight EPL teams of an ongoing season all competing against each other to be crowned the winner. Each team is represented by two gamers each.
eLaLiga
- The eLaLiga is, of course, based on the real-life Spanish La Liga. The tournament consists of 16 teams, and is considered to be one of the most prestigious FIFA esports tournaments.
Best FIFA E-Soccer Players of All Time
Donovan Hunt – TekKz
One of the best e-soccer players in the world right now, TekKz is currently contracted with Fnatic. He has won 14 esports tournaments, starting from FIFA 19 up to FIFA 22. He’s yet to win a major tournament with FIFA 23, however, finishing 2nd in the EA Sports Cup 2023 in January. TekKz primarily competes in PlayStation events, although he has taken part in a few Xbox tournaments as well.
Nicolas Villalba – nicolas99fc
This young Argentinian is another top esports talent, amassing a total of 18 tournament wins to date. Currently under contract with Guild Esports, Villalba won the majority of these events with FC Basel 1893. His career highlight occurred in 2019, when he won the FIFA eClub World Cup of that year.
Mosaad Aldossary – msdossary7
A a 2018 FIFA World Champion, Aldossary is a Saudi Arabian e-soccer star, being the first player to win a World Championship twice in one year in 2021! He currently plays for Team Falcons, having formed part of several different teams over the years.
Umut Gültekin – Umut
Gültekin began his career relatively recently and only won his first major tournament in 2021. To date, though, he has won five events and is the current FIFAe World Champion, meaning he is definitely one to watch going forward!
Top Players From FIFA 22
| Rank | Nationality | Player ID | Player Name | Total Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | Umut | Umut Gültekin | $253,333.33 |
| 2 | Argentina | Nicolas99FC | Nicolas Villalba | $105,000.00 |
| 3 | Brazil | Phzin | Paulo Henrique | $75,000.00 |
| 4 | Portugal | Tuga810 | Diogo Pombo | $67,000.00 |
| 5 | Spain | AndoniiPM | Andoni Payo | $56,040.83 |
| 6 | Brazil | Crepaldi | Gabriel Crepaldi | $52,500.00 |
| 7 | Brazil | Klinger | Klinger Correa | $40,000.00 |
| 8 | Italy | Obrun2002 | Francesco Tagliafierro | $35,000.00 |
| 9 | Argentina | Matias | Matías Bonanno | $34,080.00 |
| 10 | The Netherlands | EmreYilmazz | Emre Yilmaz | $25,000.00 |
FIFA Betting Key Stats
- FIFA e-soccer is mostly played in the form of a 1v1 Ultimate Team match – however, there are also organised leagues with real teams and countries as well as doubles matches.
- Brazil is currently at the top of the FIFAe Nations Ranking followed by Poland and Sweden.
- Riders x Atlético de Madrid are the reigning FIFAe Club World Cup champions and are currently first in this year’s leaderboard.
- FIFA 12 holds the record of being the fastest-ever selling sports-based video game, with over 3.2 million copies sold during the first week of its release!
FIFA Betting FAQs
Based on our analysis, the best FIFA betting sites are Parimatch, BetVictor, and Ladbrokes.
Full Time, Total Goals, Next Goal, and 3-Way Handicap are all popular FIFA betting markets.
These would be FIFA eWorld Cup, FIFA eClub World Cup, eLaLiga, and ePremier League.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
FIFA esports has become a significant player in its own right, having evolved into a professional sport with its own leagues, teams, and superstars. This has not gone unnoticed by the punter community, leading to an increased demand for FIFA betting markets and coverage across top bookmakers online.
As we look to the future, it is clear that FIFA esports will continue to thrive and expand, with more tournaments, bigger prize pools, and an ever-growing community of players and fans.