There’s no denying that Football and gaming have never been much apart from each other in the modern era. This is primarily since the availability of popular competitive video games such as FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer. It is essential to mention that these games are designed to be highly competitive with a considerable following. Typically running on the likes of PlayStation, Xbox, and many other platforms, they are further encouraged to penetrate the world of Esports.

More and more tournaments are being played annually worldwide to find out the best players- the hype has only grown bigger and better. While there’s no denying that watching the best PSG Esports players battle it out isn’t as similar to watching the actual World Cup, there’s still an attractive factor that draws millions.

Rise Of  PSG Esports

The advent of the internet has effectively paved the way for countless new phenomenon across industries and domains. This stands valid with the emergence of online Esports as well. The Esports industry is proliferating with expected revenue of over $1 billion in 2021 — and that’s not it. While Esports has a diverse catalog that includes first-person shooters and battle royal games, its real-life sports like American football and soccer making significant strides. The football industry is now linking with Esports with many heavyweight sports teams and leagues expressing their interest.

Football Video Games

It is essential to mention that football video games have been present in the market since the late ‘80s, effectively taking flight in the ‘90s with the arrival of FIFA in 1993. The E.A. Sports production encouraged football fans to play as or against — the real-life players on digital screens.

Today, the picture is much different, with football leagues looking to introduce their respective Esports competitions. For example, back in 2018, the English Premier League launched their Esports contest that allowed fans to participate in the competition while representing their club in FIFA. This effectively contributes to increasing fan engagement while also bridging FIFA players with professional players. Moreover, the gaming community saw FIFA hold enations World Cup in 2019 for the first time, with the U.S. Soccer Federation sending a team to compete.

For an astute understanding, FIFA eWorld Cup and PES league can be used as fine reference points to understand the crossover between casual video game players and the Esports community. This new online gaming revolution encourages passionate gamers to live the reality of a ‘footballer’ and battle for top prizes against each other through qualification, playoffs, and finals broadcasted to global audiences.

Football Clubs Are Getting More Involved

Recent times have seen the French footballing juggernaut Paris-Saint Germain enter the Esports scene. They have their dedicated “PSG Esports” franchise that regularly takes in the top efootball competitions worldwide throughout the year, just like their senior men’s and women’s teams. Then, the globally adored Dutch giants Ajax have taken tremendous strides in linking Esports with real-life sports by utilizing their FIFA players in their social outreach. They have made special efforts for their gamers, such as filming training sessions with players or offering home game tickets to create a cheerful ambiance between the two worlds.

Catalan outfit Barcelona, Portuguese league regulars Boavista F.C., Scottish Champions Celtic, French sides AS Monaco and F.C. Nantes, and German side Schalke 04 have all repeatedly collaborated with eFootball.pro league through their Esports Pro Evolution Soccer team, effectively leveraging the first-mover’s advantage into the booming Esports industry.

It is essential to mention that owing to the tremendous potential in Esports, all major football clubs across Europe and both North and South America have taken steps to employ the best talents in FIFA or PES gaming for representation. A quick Google search will indicate that almost all German top division sides have professional efootball representation on the books, with the Premier League slowly following suit with their handful of clubs that employ gamers. There’s no denying that Esports players have a long way to go for landing a contract with a club, but more and more clubs are doing it.

The Future Of PSG Esports

As mentioned already, the primary backers of Esports are undoubtedly the traditional sports teams, essentially going against what was the original picture. More and more football clubs are getting involved with Esports to have more audience and visibility for their brand in the online community. European heavyweights such as Juventus and Bayern Munich are routinely investing in their own eSports teams. English Champions Manchester City recently signed their first eSports player, whereas the PSG Esports franchise is a prominent name in the community already.

Football enthusiasts worldwide may have several reasons for not making it to the top of the global game. However, if they are good at the sport, they can still make it via a second chance.

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