The FA has announced the formation of England’s first esports team, the eLions.
Currently seeking FIFA 19 players to represent England at the inaugural FIFA eNations Cup in April, the FA has partnered with leading esports company ESL to host online qualifiers.
Mark Bullingham, FA chief commercial and football development officer, said: “This presents an exciting opportunity for Three Lions fans to help form a new chapter in England’s history and add a 29th side to our current stable of national teams.
“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 chief digital transformation and innovation officer, added: “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.”
