With just two days to go before the tournament is due to start, it is still not officially known whether the FIFAe Finals will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The world football governing body remains silent – even though it seems clear that it cannot go ahead.
Twelve people were killed on Saturday in an attack by the Houthi militia on Riyadh International Airport – hundreds more were injured. These are not the only attacks on Saudi Arabia since then; the security situation in the Kingdom is escalating. And FIFA? It still hasn’t cancelled its FIFAe World Cups in Jeddah. Even though they were due to start as early as Friday.
No statement on X, no statement on Instagram: it seems as though FIFA is simply ignoring the events of the past few days – or rather, months. Yet, according to eSports sources, the cancellation of the FIFAe Finals has already been decided internally. National associations had been expecting an announcement as early as Monday. However, this failed to materialise.
A poor showing in direct comparison
Although, as well-informed sources at eSport report, players and staff are said to have been advised not to travel to Saudi Arabia. Officially, however, nothing has been confirmed yet. Which is why the German eNational team is currently holding out at their training camp in Frankfurt. Everyone knows what is bound to happen – and yet no one can act. Because FIFA is still dragging its feet.
The world football governing body cuts a poor figure, particularly when compared directly: the Esports Foundation had moved the Esports World Cup from Riyadh to Paris a month and a half before it was due to start. The Esports Nations Cup, in turn, was postponed by a year, two and a half months before its originally planned start date. And in each case, this took place during more peaceful periods than those Saudi Arabia is currently experiencing.
A new low in transparency
Both options are still open to FIFA: it could either relocate or postpone its eFinals. However, given the short notice, the former measure would certainly go hand in hand with the latter. Because it would come far too late – just like the public communication. Even ticket sales for the FIFAe World Cups are still open at present. For events that are unlikely to take place at all.
Communication with players and associations has also been disastrous. At times, the information available to them consisted largely of rumours and reports from content creators – because no one in charge had approached them. Several e-national teams are therefore said to have withdrawn their participation of their own accord.
