EA SPORTS FC™ Pro, the official esports programme for EA SPORTS FC™, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) today announced a new, expanded eChampions League (eCL) programme.
During the month of May, Europe’s top EA SPORTS FC™ 24 competitors will represent prestigious European football clubs on the virtual pitch, further establishing eCL as the pinnacle of European club football esports.
“EA SPORTS FC puts our league partners at the centre of football esports competition, and that extends to our partnership with UEFA Champions League,” said Sam Turkbas, FC Pro Commissioner at EA SPORTS.
“This Season, we are looking forward to spotlighting the eChampions League during the month of May and giving football fans and Ultimate Team™ players more ways to watch their favourite FC Pro athletes compete under the banner of iconic European clubs.”
“We’re excited to announce a new era of the eChampions League” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director, UEFA.
“The competition in its current format has grown significantly year-on-year. We are confident that the fresh, new qualification system through the EA partner leagues and the link to real-life football performances, allied to a dedicated window in the FC Pro calendar, will see interest and engagement with the eChampions League continue to go from strength to strength.”
The eCL continues to be one of the fans' and players' favourite football esports competitions. In 2023, the events saw a 20 percent year-on-year increase in viewership and reached over 4.3 million unique fans.
More information on this year’s eCL competition format and how to watch is below.
eCL 2024 Season Overview
The upcoming eCL season is the most ambitious to date, featuring $280,000 (USD) in prizing, a unique club-centric format, the addition of FC Pro Draft, and more.
For the first time, the eChampions League will be exclusive to football clubs, with FC Pro League competitions across Europe serving as the battleground for qualification, bringing it closer to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) format. The Group stage and the Knockout stage will culminate with the biggest eCL Final to-date, hosted live in London in the leadup to the UCL final at Wembley Stadium.
Just like in the FC Pro Open, the eChampions League will also feature the FC Pro Draft. This will introduce UCL-themed squad building requirements, requiring competitors to work within a set in-game budget based on transfer market values to choose UEFA Champions League Ultimate Team™ player items for their roster.
Kicking off with the Group stage, the eChampions League FC Pro Draft will allow players to flex their football knowledge and creativity as they look to continuously build and adapt their squads on the road to the eCL Finals. eCL Schedule
FC Pro Leagues (February - April)
New to this season, players participating in FC Pro Leagues will have an opportunity to advance to the eChampions League Group Stages.
Top-ranked competitors representing clubs across European league partner programs – such as the ePremier League, Virtual Bundesliga, eLigue 1, LaLiga FC Pro, eSerie A TIM and KPN eDivisie and more – will look to secure their seats in the group stages through strong domestic performance.
Additionally and as a new addition to the program, the top eight clubs in the real world UCL Quarter-finals will be invited directly to the virtual competition and get the chance to fight it out with Europe’s best on the virtual pitch as well as the real one.
Group stage (May 11-12)
Qualified elite competitors from will head to London to face off in a two-day, eight-group round-robin gauntlet to determine who will move on to the knockout stage.
Knockout stage (May 18-19)
The top 24 players will return to London for a two-day single-elimination tournament. The top eight competitors will punch their tickets to the eCL Final – and the chance to earn a place in legend.
eChampions League Finals (May 29)
eCL brings the pinnacle of football esports to one of football’s most popular markets ahead of the UCL Final. Europe’s best EA SPORTS FC competitors will face off on the virtual pitch live from Magazine London.
Fans will be able to attend the single elimination bracket, which will determine who hoists the eCL Trophy and claims the lion’s share of the $280,000 (USD) prize pool.
The eChampions League has been won by the likes of Nicolas99fc and Emre Yilmaz in recent years, and this year’s competition could see another esports star etch their name into the history books.
Just like other FC Pro competitions, fans tuning in at home will also have an opportunity to earn exclusive eCL Twitch Drops, unlocking in-game eCL-themed vanity items like player kits.
Matches will be streamed live on www.twitch.tv/easportsfc, https://www.youtube.com/@EASPORTSFCPro and www.youtube.com/UEFA, as well as broadcast by UCL media partners around the world.
The Official Rules for the Group Stage, Knockout Stage and Finals will be provided in due course.
