The Esports World Cup 2024 for EA Sports FC concluded on August 18 at the Qiddiya Arena near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event sustained the game’s competitive momentum since its launch last year, nearly matching the peak concurrent viewership of its inaugural championship, the FC Pro 24 World Championship.
This $1 million tournament featured the world’s top 16 players, who earned their spots through invitations, strong performances at major events, or success in qualifiers. After several days of intense competition, jafonsogv emerged victorious, defeating Brazil’s Young to claim the $300,000 prize. It was a storybook win for the Portuguese player, who made a remarkable journey from the Last Chance Qualifier to winning the entire event in dominant fashion.
The EWC x EA Sports FC recorded 108K peak viewers during the Playoffs Semifinals between home favorite AbuMakkah and Young. This match was the only one to surpass the six-figure mark. Driven by a passionate crowd cheering for their local hero, who was vying for his first major global title.
EWC x FC 24 – Key Viewership Stats and Top Matches
Interestingly, the Grand Final was only the third most-watched match, with the second spot going to a Group Stage encounter between Vejrgang and Msdossary. Msdossary, the reigning world champion and another local favorite, faced off in a highly anticipated match that ended in a thrilling 3:2 victory for the home crowd’s favorite, much to the delight of Saudi viewers. This match was critical as it was the final round of their group. While Vejrgang had already secured a spot in the Playoffs, Msdossary needed a win to advance to the Resurrection Stage, depending on other match outcomes.
Unfortunately for Msdossary, while he won his match, the results of other games didn’t favor him, leading to his elimination in the Group Stage. Nevertheless, the thrilling matches and strong performances from players representing football-loving nations contributed to this EA Sports FC tournament achieving 1.14M Hours Watched and 43.3K Average Viewers over 27 hours of airtime.
Virtual simulation games draw significant interest among Arabic viewers
Unsurprisingly, with two local representatives, the Arabic language was the most-watched at the EWC x FC 24. Surpassing English, the second most popular language, by over 10%. The most popular individual channel also came from the Arabic community, with we11y leading as the most-watched channel of the tournament.
Portuguese was the only other language to exceed 10% in cumulative Hours Watched. Three of the eight Playoffs participants were Portuguese-speaking, all of whom reached the Semifinals, with both finalists from this community.
These communities were key in helping the EWC x FC 24 nearly match the viewership stats of the inaugural world championship. Recording only a 5.3% and 5.29% decrease in Hours Watched and Peak Viewers, respectively, continuing the strong start the new title has enjoyed in its competitive journey this year.
Most Popular FC 24 Events in 2024
As a result, the EWC 2024 finished as the third most popular event in the game this year. The record-setting FC Pro 24 Open remains the most-watched FIFA / EA Sports FC event in esports history.
In summary, the new game has reached unprecedented viewership levels, with 2024 proving to be an especially successful year. Fans eagerly await the new season, hoping for further advancements that will elevate EA Sports FC to even greater heights.