The FIFA Interactive World Cup: a sedentary soccer player's dream

FIFA, EA SPORTS AND PLAYSTATION HEAT UP SEARCH FOR BEST VIRTUAL SOCCER PLAYER IN NORTH AMERICA IN FIFA INTERACTIVE WORLD CUP 2008

Chivas USA players Jorge Flores and Anthony Hamilton to greet competitors in Los Angeles

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – February 27, 2008 – The search for the best virtual soccer player in North America will take place this week as the only live qualifying event of the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2008 (FIWC) hits Los Angeles on Saturday, March 1. The FIWC will showcase 128 of the best interactive soccer players in North America competing for one of 32 berths in the FIWC Grand Final on May 24 in Berlin.

The only FIWC 08 Qualifier Event in North America will take place on Saturday, March 1 from 2:00-8:00 pm at GameStop, 1000 Universal Studios Blvd., Universal City, CA. Up to 50 competitors can pre-register for the event by logging on to www.easports.com/FIWC while the remaining 78 spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the event.* "The FIFA Interactive World Cup is where true world champions are crowned," said Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho. "I am sure the competitors will feel the same excitement as we players do when entering the field at a FIFA World Cup. So don't miss the action leading up to the Grand Final in Berlin, on the 24th of May."

Complete official rules can be found at http://fifa08.ea.com/us/.

Two players from Chivas USA of the MLS, Jorge Flores and Anthony Hamilton, will be on hand at the qualifier event in Los Angeles to greet competitors and spectators between 4:30-6:00 pm. Flores, who is also captain of the USA Under-20 national team, was the winner of Sueño MLS, a nationally-televised player search by Chivas USA, who was invited to join the team's Under-19 squad and later was signed to a professional contract and added to the full squad.

The 32 finalists will be made up of the winners from the 20 live qualifiers which are taking place around the world and will be joined by 12 players who have qualified through the online qualification via PlayStation®Network. Players who cannot make it to the live event in Los Angeles have the chance to secure one of the spots in the Grand Final in the online qualification tournament for which they can register at www.FIFA.com/FIWC.

On May 24 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 Christian LÅ™nhart from Denmark, Roland Császár from Hungary, reigning FIFA Interactive World Player Andries Smit from the Netherlands, Gwan-Hyeong Kim from Korea and Sachith Reddy from India.

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 against each other on EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 08 on PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™).

* Eligibility restrictions apply.