While the FIFAe Finals 2025 were under way in Riyadh, uniting communities in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, the inaugural Football Esports Summit brought together the global football esports industry for the first time. FIFA’s Member Associations (MAs), publishers, stakeholders and innovators took part in the three-day event from 17 to 19 December to shape the future of football esports and drive the growth of this rapidly expanding ecosystem.

Seventy-nine nations participated in the summit where speakers included FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström; Chairman of Football Esports Committee and The Football Association of Hong Kong, China Limited (HKFA), Eric Fok; FIFA’s Director of eFootball & Gaming, Christian Volk; and FIFA’s Head of eFootball, Adrian Rölli.

“I want to thank everyone who contributed to the excellent discussions and panels. One message is clear: gaming and esports are essential to engaging the next generation of football fans," Mr Grafström said. “This is no longer optional; it is fundamental to football’s future relevance.” “I want to send an open invitation to our Member Associations: esports is a powerful entry point for participation, fan engagement and innovation – and FIFA wants you to be fully on board for this journey.” Mr Grafström said that FIFA was fully committed to supporting MAs through clear frameworks, shared platforms and long-term development opportunities, and emphasised that this was a long-term commitment.

“Esports has been formally part of the FIFA Statutes since 2024, underlining its importance to FIFA at the highest governance level. Football esports is therefore an important and strategic topic for FIFA, today and for the years ahead,” he said. Integrated as part of Goal 3 in FIFA’s strategic objectives for the 2023-2027 cycle, eFootball is aimed primarily at younger target groups to allow these generations to enjoy football and FIFA-organised competitions under the FIFAe banner. The aim is to ensure that football’s digital version follows the highest standards and promotes the same values as the physical game, while providing the best experience for the videogaming community and players. The FIFAe Finals 2025 took place from 10 to 19 December as Saudi Arabia continued to position itself as a leading esports hub, in line with its Vision 2030 ambitions. Following the successful implementation of the FIFAe Finals over the last two years with the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) as a committed long-term partner, FIFA and SEF are committed to providing fans, players and stakeholders a regular forum to further develop the FIFAe ecosystem.

"On behalf of FIFA, I would like to also sincerely thank the Saudi Football Federation for hosting the FIFAe Finals and the Football Esports Summit in Riyadh. We are very pleased to work so closely with the Saudi Football Federation and look forward to continuing this strong and constructive collaboration as we further develop football esports together,” Mr Grafström concluded. The FIFAe Finals 25 concluded with three champions: Thailand – Champions of the FIFAe World Cup featuring eFootball™ Mobile Poland – Champions of the FIFAe World Cup featuring eFootball™ Console France – Champions of the FIFAe World Cup featuring Rocket League