FIFAe, the esports arm of soccer's governing body FIFA, has teamed up with British gaming company Sports Interactive to organize the Football Manager World Championship. The first edition of the event will take place from August 29 to September 1 and will carry a prize pool of $100,000.
Football Manager is a football simulation series that, unlike eFootball and EA Sports FC, is more focused on “managerial work.” Despite the game's popularity, the franchise has a less developed esports scene than the aforementioned titles.
However, that doesn't mean it's completely inactive – players have been competing at a professional level for years in tournaments such as the FM Streamer Showdown and the World Esports Championship with a prize pool of £25,000, which took place in 2018 as part of the Insomnia Gaming Festival.
Arsene Wenger, former manager of Arsenal football club, has been appointed as the tournament's ambassador.
"I am looking forward to being part of this exciting project. This competition requires participants to have a deep understanding of football strategy and tactics and I am sure it will be very successful," Wenger said in an official statement.