Table of Contents
The final countdown to the 2022 FIFA World Cup is on — and for those of us who can’t see their team win the real thing, attention turns to the virtual field.
EA Sports of course publishes the world’s biggest football game annually, with the FIFA series, but also has a long tradition of making bespoke titles for major tournaments.
Those tournaments usually take place in the summer, coming at a perfect time for some fresh gaming impetus, late in the lifespan of an average FIFA entry.
But with the Qatar edition commencing in November, questions have been raised over whether EA Sports will have the capacity (or, indeed, customers will have the appetite) for a secondary title releasing within just two months of the mainstream FIFA 23.
MORE: Qatar travel requirements, hotel costs and more
Will there be a FIFA World Cup video game in 2022?
Reports suggest that EA Sports will choose to include the World Cup as a game mode within the upcoming FIFA 23 release, rather than release a standalone title.
According to VCG, FIFA 23 will include the men’s 2022 World Cup, in addition to the women’s 2023 World Cup, which takes place in Australia and New Zealand next summer.
Can I play the World Cup on FIFA 22?
There is no branded World Cup mode within FIFA 22.
In the past, it was possible to use your imagination to a certain extent and create your own World Cup via a custom offline tournament. However, even this is not possible now, due to a whole heap of missing national teams.
Which World Cup teams are on FIFA 22?
Due to licensing issues, only 13 of the 29 currently-qualified teams are fully available to use on FIFA 22. Notably, there are no African or Asian nations present. Meanwhile, Brazil are featured with their official crest and kits, but without the real-world players.
| Nation | In FIFA 22? |
| Qatar | No |
| Germany | Yes |
| Denmark | Yes |
| Brazil | With generic players in squad |
| France | Yes |
| Belgium | Yes |
| Croatia | No |
| Spain | Yes |
| Serbia | No |
| England | Yes |
| Switzerland | No |
| Netherlands | Yes |
| Argentina | Yes |
| Iran | No |
| South Korea | No |
| Japan | No |
| Saudi Arabia | No |
| Ecuador | No |
| Uruguay | No |
| Canada | Yes |
| Ghana | No |
| Senegal | No |
| Portugal | Yes |
| Poland | Yes |
| Tunisia | No |
| Morocco | No |
| Cameroon | No |
| USA | Yes |
| Mexico | Yes |
What was the last FIFA World Cup video game?
In 2018, EA Sports elected not to release a standalone game for the tournament in Russia, instead having a mode as DLC (downloadable content).
The DLC was released a couple of weeks ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup kicking off, featuring all 32 teams and 12 stadiums in a free update.
The last standalone World Cup game came in 2014. However, it failed to capture the imagination after releasing only on PS3 and Xbox 360 — despite its predecessor, FIFA 14, having been released with its next-generation visuals on PS4 and Xbox One.
On the plus side, the game was certainly comprehensive. Its ‘Road to Rio’ mode featured a total of 203 national teams, rather than just those in the Brazil finals, allowing gamers to play through the entire qualification process.
How many FIFA World Cup video games have there been?
There have been a total of 11 official games based on a specific World Cup tournament (three of which were Japanese releases from Konami in 1998), while a further two games have been produced during the qualification period.
| EA Sports titles | ||
| Standalone game | Year of release | Platforms |
| 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil | 2014 | PS3, Xbox 360 |
| 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa | 2010 | PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP |
| 2006 FIFA World Cup | 2006 | Xbox 360, Windows PC, PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PSP, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance |
| FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup | 2005 | Xbox 360 |
| 2002 FIFA World Cup | 2002 | PS2, Xbox, GameCube, Windows PC, PlayStation |
| World Cup 98 | 1998 | PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Windows PC, Game Boy |
| FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 | 1997 | PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Windows PC, Sega Saturn, Sega Genesis (Mega Drive), SNES, Game Boy |
| Non-EA Sports titles | ||
| Standalone game | Year of release | Platforms |
| Winning Eleven 3: Final Version | 1998 (Only in Japan) | PlayStation |
| World Cup 98 France: Road to Win | 1998 (Only in Japan) | Sega Saturn |
| Jikkyou World Soccer: World Cup France 98 | 1998 (Only in Japan) | Nintendo 64 |
| World Cup USA 94 | 1994 | SNES, Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Sega Master System, Game Boy, Game Gear, Various PC platforms |
| World Cup Soccer: Italia 90 | 1990 | Sega Mega Drive, Various PC platforms |
| World Cup Carnival | 1986 | Various PC platforms |
More Stories
Five Olympic Sports activities, Like Flag Football And Lacrosse, Accepted For LA28
Live football on Sky Sports – Fixtures, games, dates, kick-off times | Football News
Asian Online games 2023 Comprehensive Timetable And Occasion Record: All Athletics Routine And Timings