The best EA Sports FIFA 19 gamers in the country will have an opportunity to represent New Zealand on the global stage when the inaugural FIFA eNations Cup is held in April.

Two talented Kiwis will take part in the event, which will bring together the world’s finest exponents of FIFA 19 – the industry-leading football simulation video game – to compete in a national team competition on the Road to the 2019 FIFA eWorld Cup™ for the very first time.

To enter, participants must take part in the first ever New Zealand Football eSports FIFA 19 Championship, the first stage of which is an online-based qualification competition running from 16 - 17 March.

The four best performers from that competition (two on Xbox One and two on PlayStation 4) will then qualify for the national finals, to be held at LPL Studios inside Auckland’s iconic Sky Tower on 26 March.

The national winners on each console will then be flown overseas all expenses paid to London to compete as New Zealand against their counterparts from 15 other nations.

The event is part of the FIFA 19 Global Series on the Road to the FIFA eWorld Cup™ with entrants competing for global series ranking points, as well as a first prize of US $40,000.

New Zealand Football Commercial Director Carl Jackson is looking forward to seeing some of the best FIFA gamers in the country in action.

“We’re excited to be invited by FIFA to be one of 16 nations to compete in this competition,” he says.

“Partnering with Let’s Play Live will enable us to deliver a fantastic tournament with the domestic finals being broadcast on SKY Sport, as well as the Twitch and Facebook platforms. We’re hopeful that the top FIFA 19 competitors will be able to take part and earn the right to represent New Zealand on the world stage.”

Let’s Play Live (LPL) Director Duane Mutu is just as enthusiastic about hosting this unique opportunity.

“LPL are incredibly excited to partner with New Zealand Football to give Kiwi FIFA players the opportunity to compete on the world stage,” he says.

“LPL are focused on providing pathways into professional eSports for Kiwi gamers and see this partnership as a great step for the country’s FIFA players to make their dream a reality. We are also thrilled to see New Zealand Football take this stride into eSports, providing crossover for both digital and traditional football players.”

Entry is free to New Zealand passport holders 16 years and over.

To enter the New Zealand Football eSports FIFA 19 Championship please click here:

For more information on the 2019 FIFA eNations Cup please click here 

Article added: Friday 08 March 2019