Why is the Brazilian League Missing from FIFA 23? A Devastating Loss for Fans
As a long-time FIFA gamer and football enthusiast, I was shocked to find Brazil‘s top league excluded from FIFA 23. With no Flamengo, Corinthians, or national stadiums, this year‘s version feels glaringly incomplete. After digging deeper into this licensing disaster, I realized greed from both sides let down fans. Here‘s the full story behind this tragic removal that sacrifices realism and leaves Brazilian football lovers distraught.
Background: A Profit-Sharing Standstill
For over 20 years, Electronic Arts (EA) has featured the elite Campeonato Brasileiro Série A competition in FIFA games through an exclusive deal with Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF). This governing body oversees Brazil‘s major clubs and players‘ rights. However, when it came time to renew the expired license for FIFA 23, talks ruptured over financial terms.
CBF sought a bump from its customary million-dollar payment up to a figure closer to Liga MX‘s $15 million-per-year from EA [1]. Furthermore, Brazil wanted a bigger slice of the profits from featuring its soccer stars within the immersive, world-leading simulation. With over 5000 players in FIFA 23, meeting such elevated Brazilian demands would trim EA‘s generous margins. So negotiations hit a standstill, leading to the dismaying blackout of Brazil‘s teams.
Quantifying the Loss: Massive Blow to Authenticity and Revenue
By losing the CBF license, FIFA 23 excludes over 700 players across 20 elite men‘s clubs like Flamengo, 5 women‘s sides, and Brazil‘s iconic national stadiums. As South America‘s most successful soccer nation, this erases immense nostalgia and authenticity for lovers of the beautiful game. It shrinks available teams by around 8% [2].
Without Brazilian greats like Neymar leading domestic sides, FIFA 23 misses out on utilize rights for some of football‘s most skilled athletes that global fans adore playing. This forfeited engagement directly threatens Ultimate Team microtransaction spending that generates roughly $1.62 billion annually across all EA Sports titles [3].
Comparisons with Other Leagues Showcase Brazil‘s Value
To grasp Brazil‘s gravitas relative to other missing high-profile leagues, consider their viewership metrics:
| League | Avg. Viewers Per Game | Twitter Followers |
|---|---|---|
| English Premier League | 1.7 million | 26.5 million |
| Brazil’s Liga | 1.4 million | 12.3 million |
| Mexico’s Liga MX | 300 thousand | 6.7 million |
As the stats showcase, Brazil garners immense attention that outpaces Mexico. For context over EA‘s betrayal, Liga MX defected to rival football game eFootball for a paltry $15 million annually. Yet Brazil brings in far larger audiences across 190 countries worldwide [4]. It‘s painful seeing EA undervalue Brazil‘s soccer legacy.
The Outrage from Fans is Justified
As a career mode veteran with over 8,400 hours logged playing virtual pro football, omitting the Brazilian league leaves a gaping hole in unlocking FIFA‘s potential. Their clubs and electric playstyle are legendary across all soccer devotees globally. Without them, career mode lacks glory and ultimate team misses out on signature flair.
Personally, running my pro through Brazil‘s system to eventually get called up by Neymar to national duty is a time-honored tradition. These vital storylines and nostalgia generate loyalty across millions who feel robbed without our beloved Brazil. After forking out $60+ every year for marginal "upgrades", losing major licenses is the last straw. The CBF deserves blame but EA‘s cynicism and greed catalyzed this crisis for we passionate fans now left stranded.
Both sides must rectify this gross oversight immediately or risk losing supporters permanently. While generic knockoff teams partly fill the void, nobody will settle for forfeiting the Samba Kings in the world‘s leading football simulator. Players globally deserve better than this half-baked product missing pivotal components integral to the sport‘s identity and video game benchmark.
The hopeful resolution by FIFA 24
Thankfully, EA leaves the doorway open for Brazil‘s restoration by FIFA 24 after acknowledging fan frustrations [5]. With Soccer‘s global spotlight turning to Brazil for the 2026 World Cup jointly hosted with Mexico and Canada, now is FIFA‘s optimal window to re-cement the country‘s games presence. Millions of rejoicing South American devotees would gladly welcome the Samba Kings back to the pitches. Through compromise and displaying goodwill to supporters, FIFA has a monumental opportunity on the horizon to orchestrate one of football gaming‘s most emotional comeback stories ever.
