Details of FIFA 2006 World Cup announced

The second FIFA Interactive World Cup kicks off in London next month.

FIFA and Electronic Arts has announced the event which will use EA's FIFA 2006 on Xbox and via Xbox Live. The winner of the tournament will be named FIFA Interactive World Player 2005 and take centre stage to receive his/her trophy among some of the biggest names in football at this year's prestigious FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich on 19 December 2005.

"The first FIFA Interactive World Cup was a great success -- we witnessed thousands of gamers from around the world combine a passion for the game with a burning desire to emerge victorious. Just like in the real game. This competition is going to continue to grow in popularity and prestige and deliver on FIFA's goal of bringing football to new fans and players beyond our core group of football aficionados," said Urs Linsi, FIFA General Secretary.

Here is the competition schedule:

London – Olympia 2 – Saturday 15 October
Sao Paulo - Villa Noah – Saturday 22 October
Seoul - Sang Am World Cup Stadium - Sunday 30 October
Johannesburg - Acton Sport Academy - Saturday 12 November
Los Angeles - The Globe, Universal Studios - Saturday 19 November
Sydney - Overseas Passenger Terminal - Saturday 26 November
Germany - Cologne – The Palladium - Sunday 4 December
Paris - Carrousel de Louvre - Saturday 10 December

How to enter::

Register on site at one of the Regional Tournament venues
Earn a place by registering for the FIWC 2005 Xbox Live Tournament
Win a local qualifying tournament, which will lead to the Regional Tournaments and ultimately to the finals in London – information on online and off-line tournaments is available on www.FIFA.com.

Players will be able to compete in qualifying tournaments around the world for a place in one of the Regional Tournaments. The eight players who have what it takes to win their Regional Tournament will each win a pair of tickets to a 2006 FIFA World Cup match in Germany offered by FIFA.com and will compete in the worldwide finals in London on 18 December. In addition, each finalist will win an Xbox and a copy of EA's FIFA 06.

Two out of the two million plus Xbox Live members will also qualify for the grand final, joining the winners of the eight Regional Tournaments to make up a total of ten finalists. From today through to 11 November, Xbox Live members can register to enter the fierce online competition of the FIWC 2005 Xbox Live Tournament at www.xboxfiwc.com. This global online arm of the tournament will see one Xbox Live winner from each country automatically win an Xbox 360 and a copy of FIFA 06. Each winner will then be flown to London on 18 December to take part in a knock-out tournament to determine just two finalists. Those Xbox Live winners then join the eight winners of the Regional Tournaments in the grand final of the FIWC on the same day.

"We are all very excited about this year's FIFA Interactive World Cup" said Peter Moore,. corporate vice president of Worldwide Marketing and Publishing for the Home and Entertainment Division of Microsoft Corp. "By expanding the Xbox Live component of the competition we have really opened up the entry routes into this year's tournament allowing even more people to participate and eventually win it. It also means that only the best, most competitive gamers will make it through to the grand final. With over 2 million Xbox Live members sharpening their skills online the competition is going to be tough and we can't wait to see who will be crowned FIFA Interactive World Player 2005."

"We are thrilled to work with our long-term partners at FIFA and Xbox to help bring the second FIFA Interactive World Cup to football fans across the world," said Clive Downie, Vice President Sports Marketing, EA Europe. "This year's tournament will be the place to test your virtual skills in authentic, interactive gameplay on EA's FIFA 06. The game will be available in stores in Europe on September 30, 2005 and around the world the first week of October, and we're looking forward to our fans getting ready to bring the athleticism, individuality and emotions of world stars to life, and then competing for a chance to stand next to them as the FIFA Interactive World Player of the Year."

Source: EA Sports