The virtual soccer season is heating up as gamers and soccer fans around the world are getting ready for the next stage of the FIFA Interactive World Cup. Since the launch of FIFA Soccer 08 last month, over 10,000 players from 25 countries and five continents have started battling for top position on the leader board in the online part of the competition via Playstation Network. This month, the first live qualifying events have kicked off in Denmark, the Netherlands, Hungary and will move on to Korea, Portugal and a total of over 20 locations across the world over the next five months in search for the world’s best interactive soccer player.

On May 24, 2008, the 32 finalists will travel to Berlin from the four corners of the world to compete at the Sony Centre for the ultimate title of FIFA Interactive World Player 2008. The winner will receive an invitation to the FIFA World Player Gala 2008 and a cash prize of $20,000. The first players to have qualified for the Grand Final are 15 year old Christian Lønhart from Bagsværd in Copenhagen and Roland Császár (17) from Budapest. The Dutch qualifying event was won by last year’s FIFA Interactive World Cup winner Andries Smit (18) from The Hague, Netherlands who secured his spot in the Grand Final for the second time in a row following a tense qualifying match.

The FIFA Interactive World Cup is the world’s only officially FIFA sanctioned global soccer gaming competition with presenting partners EA and PlayStation. Participants from around the world compete with EA’s FIFA Soccer 08 on Playstation 3. This year, players can participate at one of more than 20 physical FIWC 08 Qualifier Events across the globe or online via the Playstation Network in over 25 countries.

Players who think they have what it takes to become one of the 32 finalists can register for online qualification.

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