The Rise of the Female eSports FIFA Player

March 7, 2024
By News Desk

There’s no doubt eSports are on the rise–the eSports market is expected to be worth $4.3 billion in 2024, up from just $2 billion in 2020. In some circles, the pandemic was credited with giving eSports a boost, and whilst that might be the case in terms of views, the general growth of the industry has accelerated at the same rate since those troubling times.

Within the eSports sector is the exciting soccer platform FIFA. Just as with real-life soccer, there’s been a huge visible rise in female players’ participation. What has driven that change? We explore female eSoccer players in more detail here.

The Game

The only major platform for female players at the moment is still known as FIFA, although its proper name is EA Sports FC. It is still very much ‘FIFA’ to players, at least until the license is sold to a new company. FIFA, like proper soccer, can be played at many levels. Girls might just be playing with friends in their rooms, or they could be competing in major tournaments across the world. The ECL Women’s FIFA eSports events focus on attracting female players to their screens in a tournament with the same prestige as big unisex events. There’s much more to FIFA, or EA Sports FC, than eSports, but it is the one area of the game that captures the most interest.

People don’t just play in these online tournaments – they watch them and even place wagers on them, much like ‘proper’ sports. In our article From the Stands to the Field: How Viewers Can Empower Women in Soccer, we explored how supporters can help drive change in the women’s game, and the same goes for eSoccer – the more people tuning in, the more popular female players will be. Indeed, some of the top eSoccer betting tips include watching tournaments online and learning about the big events. That means not only knowing when and where they are but also which players are making waves, including some big female names. Female FIFA players were certainly rare in the early days of the Ultimate Team feature, but in 2024, some big-name female FIFA players are helping to drive change.

The Players

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One of the top players is Fabienne, who is backing the FIFAe FAMEHERGAME initiative. The German gamer is known as the FIFA Queen and was part of the SheSportsCup winning team alongside Lena ‘RBLZ_Lena’ and Mari Preradovic. She’s perhaps one of the most popular players on the circuit, and she’s aiming to drive further participation in the game. “Esports is for everyone, and it’s time to showcase our skills to the world!” she said at the launch of FAMEHERGAME. “With FIFAe’s support, we are looking forward to developing the women’s game and inspiring the next generation of aspiring players. I’m calling all women out there to join us in writing history and challenging the status quo.”

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Another big name in the world of FIFA is Miss Lola from the US. She took her name from a character in the 1996 film Space Jam, Lola Bunny, the only female to play basketball in a men’s team. However, she’s far from alone in the FIFA world, but that hasn’t stopped her from getting serious attention. Miss Lola used to be a nurse before switching to FIFA, but with a strong social media following, including more than 34,000 followers on Twitch, she is one of many helping to change opinions on women in eSoccer.

Globally, women are really changing the game in terms of eSoccer, and Lisa Manley is flying the flag for the UK. Lisa isn’t just a FIFA player, she’s also commentated on the NSPCC Game Safe Cup, aimed at promoting safer gaming amongst females and young people. Like the others, she has a solid presence on the eSoccer scene and is a force for good.

Outside eSoccer

It would be remiss to talk about women’s soccer and not mention Kelsie Grieg. She was a promising soccer player, representing her country, Scotland, at Under 17 level, before a serious injury put paid to her hopes of going further. She has found solace in the eSports world, and whilst she’s chosen Call of Duty rather than FIFA, she is another example of a female involved in soccer who has gone on to strive for parity in eSports.

Kelsie was the first woman to qualify for for the Call of Duty Challengers Elite tournament, something she hopes changes the attitude toward female gamers across the globe. “I truly hope my getting this far on the world stage will encourage other females to get involved. I want to rubbish the stereotypes that people have, especially in such a male-dominated scene. There’s always been some sort of stereotypes around women competing in esports, and, while I’ve experienced some of that in Call of Duty, for the most part, the community has always been welcoming.”

Conclusion

The world of eSports, and particularly eSoccer, was once the bastion of the male player, with women daring not to try and walk a path to success. However, thanks to some inspirational figures, some listed here and many not, things are changing. As with ‘proper’ soccer, girls and women are beginning to be seen as equal to their male counterparts, and as they continue to make headlines, that will pave the way for the next generation of young players to make their mark.