After an exciting seven months of competition, FIFA, EA and PlayStation today congratulate the 32 finalists who have qualified for the fourth annual FIFA Interactive World Cup tournament. On the virtual soccer fields of EA SPORTS FIFA 08, players from all over the world dribbled and scored: from Australia to South Africa, from Brazil to Korea, and from the US to Italy. They made their way through the 20 live qualifiers. More than 25,000 players competed against each other in the online preliminaries via PLAYSTATION Network. But now the time has come: the finalists will compete for the title of “FIFA Interactive World Player of the Year” at the Sony Center in Berlin on May 24.
“I am very impressed with the level of the participants. They have clearly trained hard, and that is as crucial as preparing for real football events. The FIFA Interactive World Cup is fast becoming the best gaming tournament and the only one under the official flag of FIFA,” said Chuck Blazer. “I think it’s very appropriate that there are now 32 entrants: exactly the same number as the number of teams in the FIFA World Cup. This is a serious tournament and like the real tournament, the FIFA World Cup, it is of course a great honor to be crowned the world champion. That undoubtedly motivates the players to these great performances.”
Reigning champion Andries Smit from the Netherlands will try to take the title for the second time. The other 31 finalists naturally want to put a stop to that, for example Chris Bullard of England, the only former champion to have reached three FIWC Grand Finals in the tournament’s four-year history. Or Davor Brescakovic, from Switzerland, who showed his tremendous determination by taking part in the New Zealand qualifying tournament and winning after being eliminated in the semi-finals of the Swiss qualifying rounds. All of these top players are keeping a close eye on the next generation of virtual football virtuosos, such as Ivan Pastyrèák from Slovakia and Sachith Reddy from India – both only 14 years old. All finalists will compete to be named FIFA Interactive Player of the Year. The winner will also receive an invitation to the 2008 FIFA World Player Gala and a cash prize of $20,000.
“FIFA 08 is a highly competitive game, with the same level of adrenaline that watching real football brings, and requiring tactical acumen and a great love for football. The grand final is played in a real football atmosphere. The participants experience what it is like to experience a real tournament, with the same tension that spectators and players feel when a FIFA World Cup title is at stake,” said Anthony Baffoe, former Ghana international and the first African. player in the German Bundesliga. He is not only one of the many football guests on May 24, but also the co-host of the event.
The ultimate virtual football show starts at 11:00 AM. Everyone is welcome to cheer on the finalists during this grand finale in Berlin. You can also enjoy free performances, including a live performance by German rapper Das Bo.
List of finalists
Bjorn Diedricks South Africa
Gwan Hyeong Kim Korea
Sachith Reddy India
Chan Charm Wah Hong Kong
Andries Smit Netherlands
Roland Csaszar Hungary
Christian Lonhart Denmark
Pedro Caiado Portugal
Alex Barets France
Karol Rogaczewski Poland
Alfonso Ramos Spain
Dominik Posch Austria
Ivan Pastyrcak Slovakia
Michael Labelle United States
Davor Brescakovic Croatia
Roberto Garrapa Italy
Ruben Morales Zerecero Mexico
Tunc Polat Switzerland
Buey Siong Tay Australia
Ivan Soberon Spain
Michael Pommer Australia
Max Fayers England
Marko Krivokapic Germany
Abubakr Ebrahim Akhalwaya South Africa
Stephen Coore Australia
Andre Casagrande Buffo Brazil
Didi Otisi United States
United States Michael Ribeiro
Carl Condliffe New Zealand
Chris Bullard England
Danny Taylor England
Mustafa Agyuez Germany
