2008 FIFA Interactive World Cup Finalists Announced

After seven months of intense competition, FIFA, EA and PlayStation today congratulate the 32 finalists who have secured their place in the Grand Final of the fourth annual FIFA Interactive World Cup. Over 25,000 players competed in the online leg via PLAYSTATION®Network. The finalists will compete to become the FIFA Interactive World Player of the Year at the Sony Center in Berlin on 24 May.

”I am very impressed with the level of the participants. It is clear that they have been practicing hard, and like any football event, practice is one of the most important things. The FIFA Interactive World Cup is establishing itself as a premier gaming tournament, and the only one under the FIFA banner”, explained Chuck Blazer, who added “I think it is apt that there are now 32 competitors which mirrors the number of teams in the FIFA World Cup. This tournament is a serious one, and like its big brother tournament, the FIFA World Cup, it is the pride of being crowned the FIFA World Champion that encourages these great performances.”

Defending champion Andries Smit from the Netherlands will be vying for the crown for a second year running.

“The Grand Final will be played in a real football ambience and it will be an opportunity to experience a live tournament with all the thrills that spectators and players feel with a FIFA World Cup title on the line. It bears all the fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping action of watching real football and in order to compete at this level, you need a tactical mind and a love for football,” says Anthony Baffoe, former Ghanaian international and the first African player in the German Bundesliga, who will not only be one of the many football guests that evening but also the co-host of the event.

List of Finalists

Bjorn Diedricks - South Africa

Gwan Hyeong Kim - Korea

Sachith Reddy - India

Chan Charm Wah - Hong Kong

Andries Smit - Netherlands

Roland Csaszar - Hungary

Christian Lonhart - Denmark

Pedro Caiado - Portugal

Alex Barets - France

Karol Rogaczewski - Poland

Alfonso Ramos - Spain