Esports Wales and FA Wales to select national EA FC team
10 January 2024
When talking about esports in the UK, the news is often coming out of London and the Midlands, but other parts of the region are becoming local esports hubs as well. Just a few weeks ago, for example, Esports Wales announced plans to launch a brand-new Welsh Esports League to gather the best esports talent in the country for different popular games, including League of Legends and Counter-Strike. Or in the words of the organisation itself, “The Welsh Esports League is brand new for 2023, and the long-term goal is to create that grassroots league for players and teams develop before moving on to the larger leagues in the UK and Europe scene”.
The ambitions of Esports Wales did not stop there though, and the first days of 2024 have seen a string of news coming from the UK’s west coast. Possibly the biggest announcement of all was the new partnership with the Welsh Football Association (FA), with the goal of creating the country’s first national EA FC team. As you are most likely aware, EA FC is the new title of the popular FIFA franchise, after developers EA Sports did not extend their FIFA license.
Selection process up next
The creation of the first Welsh national EA FC team has already started and the selection matches will be held on Saturday, January 13th 2024, and Sunday, January 14th, 2024. Any player from the country can participate in these matches, as the goal is to gather the best EA FC talent available in preparation for the upcoming UEFA eEuro Esports Championship. It will be the first time this event will be organised, though dates for the tournament have not been announced yet.
“EA SPORTS FC™ 24 will be the official platform for UEFA’s eEURO esports program, an all new tournament featuring Europe’s best EA SPORTS FC™ players, representing UEFA national football teams”, writes EA on its own website, “The eEuro will be an annual tournament program featuring qualification phases leading to a live final, the first of which will be contested this summer; with more updates on the tournament structure to be announced soon.”
Esports Wales have already appointed Cerith Dennis as Game Manager for EA FC. The youngster competed in the FIFAe Club Series for Sheffield Wednesday and also represented Great Britain at the 2022 Commonwealth Esports Championships, where he got a bronze medal. According to Esports Wales, “Cerith brings a wealth of gaming expertise and passion for leading us to victory”.
Esports Wales joins European Esports Federation
The creation of a Welsh national EA FC team fits perfectly into Esports Wales’ wish to play a bigger role in the world of European esports. This ambition was underlined just a few weeks ago, at the start of December 2023, when the organisation was recognised as a new member of the European Esports Federation (EEF).
“With a commitment to upholding the highest standards of sportsmanship and professionalism, Esports Wales is poised to make impactful contributions to the broader European esports ecosystem”, Esports Wales wrote in its press release following its successful bid.