PSSI Teams Up with Konami for Indonesian National Team Licensing in eFootball
Reporter
April 10, 2025 | 10:03 am
The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has collaborated with Konami, the developer of the eFootball game, to license the Indonesian national team. "We are proud to announce the collaboration with PSSI and GSI for the first time. Great Indonesian players like Marselino Ferdinan, Rizky Ridho, Sandy Walsh can be played in the game. You can create an authentic experience just like in real life. The players' jerseys and faces will be accurate," said Junichi Taya, General Producer at Konami during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, as quoted from Antara.
According to him, the enthusiasm of the Indonesian community, especially in supporting the national team, has contributed to this collaboration. Junichi Taya stated that football has become a unifying force for many fans. "Football is a shared passion, a deeply rooted culture, and a force that unites millions of fans. I can feel the extraordinary love for football in this country," he said.
Indonesian National Team eFootball
Now, the Indonesian national team can be played in the eFootball game with the team's uniforms, emblems, national anthem, and the players' faces.
The license for the Indonesian national team applies to the console and mobile eFootball versions. "Through this collaboration, we aim to continue supporting the growth of Indonesian football. Not only on the field, but also in the digital world, by creating new ways and innovations to connect with the national team," said Taya.
Marsal Masita, the Director of the Garuda Football Indonesia (GSI), stated that PSSI welcomes the collaboration with Konami for the Indonesian national team in eFootball. He mentioned that not many countries in Asia collaborate with Konami.
"It is unimaginable that our beloved Indonesian national team could appear on the eFootball game screen. This collaboration is not just about income, but also about recognition. This is an important collaboration because only a few Asian countries directly collaborate with Konami," said Marsal Masita.
About eFootball
As quoted from the PSSI website, eFootball is a genre in the game that combines football with eSports platforms. eSports are sports tournaments using video games played by professionals. Its history began at Stanford University on October 19, 1972. In Indonesia, eSports emerged following the development of the Internet since 1995.
The development of eSports grew with the emergence of Internet cafes (warnet) spread across major cities in Indonesia. In 1999, eSports appeared for the first time in Indonesia, with the first online game competition held.
eSport competitions were pioneered by the Game League, which became the gathering place for gamers in Indonesia. In the 2000s, eSports grew even further. The World Cyber Game Championship was held in eight major cities in Indonesia, featuring the FIFA World Cup.
In Indonesia, at the 2018 Asian Games, a new sport was introduced to the public, eSports. This competition involved video games that could be simulated as a team or individually.
With the global development of eSports, the PSSI organized the first football eSport tournament titled ePiala Indonesia 2021. This was the first FIFA eFootball tournament held in Indonesia, taking place at the Ibis Hotel, Slipi, Jakarta from April 1 to 3, 2021. In 2024, the Indonesian national team became the world champion in the FIFA Electronic Football World Cup or FIFAe World Cup 2024 for the console category.
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