The FIFA 23 eWorld Cup Final was meant to be a grand spectacle. After months of competition, the greatest virtual soccer players would come together to determine who was the best in the world. Instead, it descended into an embarrassing debacle when technical glitches severely disrupted the final match.
Tensions were already high amongst the two finalists, known in the FIFA world as Gontho and Daxe09. But as the match began, the competitive rivalry was derailed by technical difficulties. The controllers used by the players reportedly didn’t function properly, making it difficult to control the players on the field.
The players attempted to troubleshoot the issue but were met with unsuccessful results. This continued for several minutes, and the match was eventually stopped while the issue was addressed. While the issue was resolved, the disruption caused by the delay was enough for many viewers to dub the final a ”laughing stock”.
FIFA officials apologized for the issue and said that steps would be taken to ensure that similar issues wouldn’t occur in the future. While it’s too late to make up for the embarrassing moment, the tournament organizers hope that the entertainment value of the rest of the tournament will be enough to overshadow the incident.
For many fans, this incident served as a reminder of the fragility of technology and the effect it can have on the game. While all of the competitors can agree that they’d rather their skill and talent determine who wins, they’ll have to move forward with the knowledge that technology can still impact the outcome of any match.