Electronic Arts Inc. may seek to reengage with global soccer body FIFA even though the two organizations failed to reach a new agreement over the company’s use of the brand in its video games.
“We will look to potentially do World Cup partnerships,” EA Entertainment President Laura Miele said Thursday in response to a question at the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles.
After 30 years of publishing FIFA games, EA launched its new soccer franchise, EA Sports FC, in September. The soccer group’s leaders had sought more money while EA leadership chafed against the organization’s control over the soccer game’s brand.
The company has close to 20,000 athletes across 700 teams and 30 leagues, with the support of more than 300 global football partners.
“The only thing that we don’t get through not having the FIFA relationship anymore is the World Cup competitions every four years,” EA Vice President DJ Jackson told Bloomberg Businessweek. The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Canada, the US and Mexico.
(Company corrects number of teams, leagues in fourth paragraph.)
