The 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark a notable negative milestone for the EA FC franchise. For the first time since the tournament was last in the United States 32 years ago, there will be no officially licensed World Cup in the game for EA FC players to enjoy. This is the natural byproduct of severing ties between the series and the sport’s top governing body, which famously served as the series’ title for more than two decades.

Amazingly, the game that kicked off that legacy 28 years ago with the World Cup in France can still lay claim to a level of World Cup representation that the last edition in the series to cover the Cup officially, Qatar 2022, did not match. Here’s why FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 will always hold a special place in sports gaming lore.

The Long Legacy Of FIFA: Road To World Cup 98

When EA Sports debuted their World Cup games in 1998, there was little reason to expect that it would be in the form of a game that set a bar so high that nearly every successor has even come close to touching, let alone clearing.  

EA Swung Big On A Less Understood Part Of International Football

The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in existence, with the sport known as “the World’s Game” for very good reason. With the final tournament being such a massive international spectacle, it can be easy to assume that everything related to it has always been appointment viewing, but this has not always been the case. This is particularly the case in the United States, one of the biggest gaming markets on the planet, but also a country that had only a passing interest in the sport as a spectator event in the 1990s.

After the US was chosen to host the 1994 World Cup, the game was on the upswing in the US, including the launch of Major League Soccer in the wake of the tournament. Despite that, in an era when the internet was just beginning to proliferate and was nowhere near as ever-present in the lives of everyday people as it is today, not many American gamers would have known or cared about the qualification procedures of European nations, let alone what was going on in Oceania.

Despite this, EA decided to recreate the qualifying process as faithfully as possible, trusting that a game with many options and opportunities would be inherently appealing on its own. They were right.

Few Games Have Matched Road To World Cup 98’s Depth

While the FIFA license stayed with EA Sports for nearly 30 years and spanned seven World Cups, this level of detail was uncommon for the series. Only twice did EA reproduce qualifying, and only with the 2010 edition did they attempt to do so for every confederation.

That such incredible detail was achieved on the Nintendo 64, a system with a fraction of the storage available to developers, makes it even more remarkable. The N64 version fit the entire game into 12 megabytes on its standard Nintendo 64 cartridge. For comparison, this week EA announced that Caleb Williams would be the cover artist of Madden 27 and included an image of the Deluxe Edition in the artwork for the release, which comes in at 12.7 megabytes.

For less space than one promo picture for a modern game, developers included 172 national teams, 16 stadiums for the matches, the underlying structure to guide those teams through six regions’ qualifying journeys, a World Cup, and the in-game engine used to play the games. It’s a staggering accomplishment.

The In-Depth Qualifying Made New Fans Of The International Game

The legacy of FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 doesn’t end with the impression it left on the gaming world; it was also a key part of many fans’ journey toward becoming international football obsessives. Still in its early days of home application, the internet was not yet an ever-present part of daily life in the late 90s. For many sports fans, myself included, Road to World Cup 98 was an introduction to the broad and deep world of World Cup qualification.

As with the 2010 edition, which popular Football Manager and soccer culture YouTuber Zealand has cited on stream as the start of his obsession with the various confederations, the game introduced many gamers to new high-stakes sports to follow. Many soccer fans can trace the intensity of their love for the game, if not their interest altogether, to the introduction provided by Road to World Cup 98.

As gamers around the world dive into The World’s Game update for EA FC 26 ahead of and during the World Cup, there will be plenty of fun on offer. But it will not be able to replicate the magic that was FIFA: Road to World Cup 98.

Netflix will make its biggest push into the gaming industry so far with the debut of “FIFA World Cup Launch Edition” June 11. Created by “007 First Light” developer Delphi Interactive and Netflix Games in collaboration with FIFA, “FIFA World Cup” is described as a “streamlined football simulation game” that only requires having Netflix queued […]

Whenever I see a controversy about the FIFA World Cup 2026, such as the New Jersey transportation price hike, I assume nothing else will follow. But it appears controversies keep emerging. According to the Daily Mail, FIFA has announced a regulation that will prevent fans from bringing water bottles into stadiums.

With World Cup games being held in the summer, the extreme weather conditions across the US, Canada, and Mexico seem to have sparked fear among the audience. This is because experts have predicted that over 90 percent of games will be played in temperatures above 82.4°F (28°C). As one can already guess, staying hydrated will play a crucial role here.

It’s not like FIFA has banned water bottles completely, as it appears one can buy them from the venue. Per The Athletic, FIFA has informed ticket holders that “reusable water bottles are no longer permitted at the FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums.” Since fans cannot bring their own reusable water bottles, they are quite concerned, according to the Daily Mail.

It looks like FIFA initially allowed water bottles and then banned them later

According to the available information, it appears that FIFA initially allowed fans to bring water bottles, but just weeks later, they reportedly banned them. Initially, it stated, “For the avoidance of doubt, empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles, up to (1 liter in) capacity, may be brought into the Stadium.”

JUST IN: FIFA will not allow fans to bring water into World Cup stadiums

The price of a water bottle at MetLife stadium during the tournament is expected to be between $6-$8 pic.twitter.com/h8893Ipfta

— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) June 4, 2026

That sounds fair. Carrying multiple 1-liter bottles, I think, may have been enough to meet water requirements. Otherwise, one can always buy an additional water bottle from the stadium. However, on June 2, the authority revised its statement, stating, “For the avoidance of doubt, reusable water bottles may not be brought into the stadium.”

It appears this change wasn’t very welcomed by the fans. Per the source, one of them wrote on X, “Those drinks are going to be absolutely shocking in price. Water will be $10 at least. The scandal just keeps getting bigger.” Another one shared a concern, “So what happens when they run out? Because in 95° heat and 60,000+ people – They might. This is f****** ridiculous.”

In my opinion, the comments suggest that fans are taking this decision as a cash grab. This is because higher demand for water bottles at the stadium might double the original prices. As a result, fans who have already paid for an expensive ticket might have to pay more for a bottle of water.

Fans are looking furious, but at the same time, FIFA’s explanation for banning bottles also sounds fair. According to NBC News, a spokesperson for the global soccer governing body said, “FIFA made the decision to prohibit bottles to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees.”

They also added, “Outside bottles are already prohibited at several of these venues for safety considerations, and FIFA is applying this consideration across its tournament stadiums.” It appears that safety is a concern from FIFA’s side, hence the water bottle ban. Their latest statement might sound controversial, but it doesn’t seem to impact the World Cup’s hype. All eyes are on the games now.

FIFA has confirmed that around 60 fans received World Cup 2026 tickets at no cost due to a website glitch during checkout. The governing body is now requiring those individuals to pay within seven days or face cancellation of their seats. The issue came to light on June 4, 2026.

As detailed by BroBible, FIFA addressed the error directly, confirming in a statement: “FIFA can confirm that approximately 60 FIFA World Cup 2026 fans received a communication on Wednesday, 3 June, regarding tickets that had been allocated at no charge (0 USD) due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process.” The organization attributed the error to a payment processing failure on its end.

FIFA stated that it “regrets the error and any inconvenience caused” and confirmed that “the tickets requested by these fans remain reserved, and the affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount.” According to an email released online by Ticket Talk Network, fans have exactly seven days to submit payment. If the deadline passes without payment, the tickets could be rescinded entirely.

FIFA’s ticketing headaches go well beyond a checkout glitch

This ticketing error arrives amid broader scrutiny of FIFA’s operations. Officials from New York and New Jersey have begun investigating whether various ticketing practices violated consumer protection laws, and FIFA has received subpoenas from the attorneys general of both states. These legal inquiries are requesting detailed information on several matters, including the specific use of variable pricing, amid separate complaints over seat downgrades affecting premium ticket buyers.

FIFA has confirmed a website glitch has left dozens of fans getting FREE tickets for the World Cup 2026.

Supporters reportedly have 7 days to complete payment or lose their seats. @SkyNews

— Soloball (@OginiSolomon) June 5, 2026

The landscape of complimentary tickets remains inconsistent across different groups. While the general public is dealing with payment glitches and potential cancellations, the Saudi Arabian football association announced that its fans will receive complimentary tickets during the tournament. The association stated: “On this occasion, Saudi Arabia is offering free tickets for Saudi National Team fans present in the U.S. We wish our national team the best of luck as it represents the Kingdom with pride, passion, and the full force of a nation behind them.”

FIFA’s ticketing policies are notoriously strict. A spinal cord injury charity was previously forced to cancel a raffle for World Cup tickets after a FIFA representative noted that tickets are issued as “personal, revocable licenses” intended to “protect the integrity and fair allocation of tickets, ensure that access is provided through controlled and secure channels, and safeguard the commercial rights that underpin the organization and delivery of the FIFA World Cup.” \

For fans navigating refunds or payment questions, FIFA’s official ticket cancellation and refund support page outlines the relevant processes. The tournament has faced broader criticism over its pricing, with high costs drawing scrutiny from advocacy groups ahead of the event.

For the 60 affected fans, the deadline to secure their seats stands. Failure to complete payment within the seven-day window will result in the tickets being cancelled.