The International Association Football Federation (FIFA) has officially confirmed that the Saudi city of Jeddah will host the FIFAe World Cup 2026 esports finals for the first time this year. The competition will take place from October 16 to 25 at the Abadi Al Johar Arena.
FIFAe is FIFA's esports program, where players represent their national teams rather than clubs. To reach the final stage, teams advance through world rankings, regional qualifiers, and in-person continental championships.
This year, the competition is divided into three separate tournaments:
- eFootball (console)
- eFootball (mobile)
- Rocket League
The absence of the classic "FIFA" game is due to the end of the 30-year partnership between FIFA and EA Sports in 2022. To maintain its esports division, FIFA has signed agreements with new developers: Konami (eFootball) and Psyonix/Epic Games (Rocket League). These partnerships are implemented in cooperation with the Saudi Esports Federation.
For the past two years, the FIFAe finals were hosted by the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Neither FIFA nor the Saudi side have provided official reasons for moving the tournament to Jeddah, although the announcement was preceded by several weeks of uncertainty.
This uncertainty arose from a difficult year for esports events in the region. The conflict involving Iran caused major disruptions to Middle Eastern airspace. As a result, the larger Esports World Cup was moved from Riyadh to Paris, and the debut of the Esports Nations Cup, scheduled for November, was postponed by a full year to 2027, citing ongoing assessments of the regional situation.
Despite the cancellation or relocation of other major events abroad, the FIFAe World Cup 2026 finals will remain in Saudi Arabia. The question of why Jeddah was deemed a safe alternative and to what extent logistical or security concerns prompted the move away from Riyadh currently remains open.
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