FIFA Interactive World Cup 2008 - A new pitch, the same ball
Fancy being the world's number one? Think you have the nerve, stamina and ability to cut it against the world's best football gamers? To claim the prestigious world title, you must demonstrate advanced skills, applied technical aptitude and concise ball control. But even if you are just a football fan intrigued by the fascination of virtual gaming, we look forward to welcome you as a contestant.

For the first time ever the EA Sports FIFA game will be available on the Sony PlayStation®3 to deliver the next generation of football gaming right to your fingertips! You can now take your EA game 'ball' onto the Playstation3 'pitch' and get started with your World Cup training!

There are two routes to qualify for the FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final: via Online Qualification on the PlayStation®Network or by participating in one of the live Qualifier Events across the globe.

Online Qualification
If you're unable to attend one of the live Qualifier Events, then Online Qualification on the PS Network is the place for you. The Online Qualification will produce 12 of the 32 finalists at the FIWC08 Grand Final in Berlin on 24th May 2008.

How does it work?
Once registered, every single FIFA 08 game you will play on the PlayStation®Network against anybody in the world will count for the overall Confederation standings. Should you be a resident of Germany, for example, you will fall under the European Confederation leader-board. And guess what.... These standings will be updated and published on FIFA.com on a monthly basis so you can always keep track of where you are currently ranked!

These Online Qualification leaderboards will be closed on 31 March 2008 and the top players will advance to the Grand Final in Berlin. The split of the finalists per Confederation will be as follows:

Europe - The top 4 ranked players
Central, North America and Caribbean - The top 2 ranked players
Asia - The top 3 ranked players
Africa - The top 1 ranked player
Oceania - The top 1 ranked player
South America - The top 1 ranked player

Live Qualifier Events
Apart from the Online Qualification modus, we're also running numerous spectacular tournaments in 20 countries around the world and whatever your ability, everyone gets his/her chance! Here, you will be able to play shoulder-to-shoulder against your opponents, make a run to become National Champion and secure one of the 32 prestigious slots at the Grand Final in May, representing your own country!

Note that you cannot pre-register for these tournaments so make sure to keep checking in for the latest updates on Qualifier Venues near you! You can then just sign up at the event on the day for what promises to be the ultimate football gaming experience.

Each National Champion will then be whisked away with a friend, parent or guardian to the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2008 Grand Final in Berlin, Germany.

Defeat in the early stages, however, does not mean that you have to go home immediately as there's plenty more to keep you entertained at these events: From watching the remaining competitors battle it out to exploring the latest game trials on the next generation PlayStation hardware, meeting professional football stars or just enjoying the live music with your friends and family.