This is the news FIFA fans have been waiting for since October, when EA Sports and the EPL unveiled the first-ever official esports event for the world’s most popular football division.

Registration opens 9am GMT on Monday, December 3 and closes 23:59pm GMT on Friday, January 4, with online qualification to start the following day.

The qualifying rounds will whittle the field down to 32 players – 16 on PlayStation and 16 on Xbox – for each of the 20 Premier League clubs.

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Qualifiers then face one another in live club playoffs to determine the top PS4 player and top Xbox One player for each club.

That batch of 40 progress to the ePremier League Final – a two-day tournament played in London from Thursday, March 28 to Friday, March 29.

The final will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and the EPL’s various social media platforms.

Competitors who have already won FUTChampions Verfied status will earn points towards the FIFA 19 Global Series, where the top 32 players on the worldwide leaderboard earn a berth in the FIFA eWorld Cup.

Entry is open to all UK residents aged 16 and over.

Key dates for the FIFA 19 ePremier League

Monday, December 3 – Registration opens at 9am GMT

Friday, January 4 – Registration closes at 23:59pm GMT

Saturday, January 5 – Online qualification begins

February and March – Live playoffs for all 20 EPL clubs

Thursday, March 28 – ePL Final commences in London

Friday, March 29 – Inaugural ePL champion crowned

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Building upon last season’s success and the significant growth in FIFA esports competitive gaming popularity, the tournament ecosystem expands as the number of FUT Champions Cups increases from two to six, an all-new Licensed Qualifier System led by leading brands is added, and will involve an anticipated 15 official football league partners vs eight last season such as Bundesliga, Eredivisie, La Liga, Ligue 1, MLS, and the Premier League.

This season also includes the unique FIFA eClub World Cup and two EA Champions Cups featuring the best FIFA Online 4 players in the world, as well as a brand-new competition: the FIFA eNations Cup. Further details about the format and qualification for the FIFA eNations Cup will be announced over the coming weeks.

“The growth of competitive FIFA is both exponential and undeniable,” said Todd Sitrin, SVP and GM of the EA Competitive Gaming Division. “On the heels of the global phenomenon that is the EA SPORTS FIFA 19 launch, the scope of the EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series illustrates competitive FIFA’s rapid rise and solidifies its status as a tier one competitive franchise. This past season, we smashed all the previous viewership and engagement records for competitive FIFA, and we are excited to do the same again in the coming season.”

The rise of EA SPORTS FIFA competitive gaming is enhanced through its accessibility, if you know the rules of football, you know the rules of FIFA. This approachability fuels not only increased player popularity, but spectator growth as well. It positions the franchise well for sustaining momentum as millions of football fans can understand the game.

“Competitive FIFA captivates millions of fans around the world, and its unique connection to the world’s game presents new and innovative ways to uniquely connect football fans around the world,” said Luis Vicente, Chief Digital Transformation & Innovation Officer at FIFA. “We’re thrilled to continue our longstanding partnership with EA as we aim to push e-Football to new heights and to new audiences.”

With more than 20 million players across 60 nations participating in the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series, new pathways are now available to players aiming to qualify for the EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series through the introduction of a new EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series Points system.

This new points system awards competitors for their cumulative performances across both online and live events and gives the opportunity for all eligible players to become a future star of FIFA competitive gaming. It also increases their chances for EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series Playoffs qualification and advancing to the FIFA eWorld Cup 2019.

“Building upon last season’s success, we wanted to give more players around the world the opportunity to compete in the EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series, as well as elevate the profile of the superstars of FIFA,” said Brent Koning, EA SPORTS FIFA Competitive Gaming Commissioner. “Every detail of the competitive ecosystem is thoughtfully and strategically crafted to increase its engagement and entertainment for spectators, as well as accelerate our ultimate goal of making stars of all our players.”

All eligible players interested in becoming a competitor in the EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series must register on FUTChampions.com by October 31, 2018 and become FUT Champions Verified to earn EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series points.

The top 60 competitors on the final EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series points leaderboard will qualify for the EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series Playoffs, and then only the best-of-the-best will advance to the FIFA eWorld Cup 2019. There, only one will be crowned the FIFA 19 World Champion.

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