Why Isn‘t Colombia in FIFA 22? Licensing Issues With CONMEBOL
The Colombian national team is not featured in FIFA 22 due to licensing issues between developers EA Sports and the South American football confederation CONMEBOL. Colombia is just one of several countries missing from the latest game‘s roster.
EA Sports Lacks Agreements With Many CONMEBOL Nations
According to various reports, EA only has full licensing contracts to include three CONMEBOL national teams in FIFA 22: Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. This explains why so many traditionally strong South American sides are excluded this year.
Without these licensing deals in place, EA does not have legal permission to feature a national team in FIFA 22. No matter how talented Colombia may be, unfinished business matters with CONMEBOL make their inclusion impossible right now.
This situation stems from complex, high-value negotiations around image rights and revenue distribution. With billions in profit at stake, finalizing contracts with national federations can get complicated for a gaming giant like EA.
As a result, several CONMEBOL nations get excluded year to year based on licensing politics more than performance. Colombia fans are all too familiar with this by now.
Colombia‘s Absence Impacts Gameplay Enjoyment
As an avid FIFA gamer myself, I feel Colombia‘s omission takes away from the overall realism and engagement. This is especially true for modes like:
- World Cup: Cannot accurately recreate the full tournament bracket
- Career Mode: Reduces immersion without all real national teams present
- Kick Off: Limits online and offline team selection options
In particular, Colombia‘s absence ruins the authenticity of World Cup mode. As the following table shows, they historically qualify more than half the CONMEBOL nations missing from FIFA 22:
| Country | Last 5 World Cup Appearances |
|---|---|
| Colombia | 3 |
| Chile | 2 |
| Ecuador | 3 |
| Paraguay | 1 |
| Peru | 1 |
| Bolivia | 0 |
For a country with stars like James Rodriguez on its roster, not having Colombia just feels wrong as a gamer. It detracts from getting the full South American experience that gives FIFA its distinct flavour.
Colombia‘s Ratings Reflect Talent Level Worth Including
Based on their solid 82 overall team rating in FIFA 21, Colombia has the quality to enhance FIFA 22 gameplay:
| Country | FIFA 21 Team Rating |
|---|---|
| Brazil | 87 |
| Argentina | 84 |
| Colombia | 82 |
| Chile | 79 |
| Peru | 78 |
With explosiveness up front from Duván Zapata and stability at the back thanks to Davinson Sánchez, this team brings fun dynamics to compete with. They offer a unique South American test for even elite sides.
As a team proud of their lovable yellow shirts as much as their passion and flair, Colombia has an infectious spirit about them that I miss experiencing in FIFA.
Personal Insights From a Devoted FIFA Fan
As someone who has eagerly purchased every FIFA release since 1997, I wish EA could resolve these licensing challenges for good. Especially with the Qatar 2022 World Cup now just weeks away!
It saddens me to see teams like Colombia, Paraguay and Ecuador excluded given their competitiveness and rich histories. Their absence leaves a gaping hole for CONMEBOL fans.
With football quickly gaining popularity stateside too, I suspect many US-based gamers will feel let down missing out on these exotic South American teams. Casual fans get deprived of deepening their knowledge around the sport.
Hopefully for FIFA 23 and beyond we get enough licensing breaks to include the full stack of players and kits we expect. After all, it‘s the cult heroes and rising stars from nations like Colombia that keep us football nerds hooked year after year!
For now, los Cafeteros fans must watch from the virtual sidelines and cheer other CONMEBOL associates like Messi‘s Argentina towards victory. But James and the yellow squad shall return – it‘s only a matter of time.
