eSports: A Global Phenomenon
Far more than just a video game competition, eSports (or electronic sports) has, over the past few years, become a global phenomenon with growing popularity that extends beyond traditional soccer fans. Followed by millions of people, this discipline is now recognized as a full-fledged sporting competition, where the best players on the planet face off in the most popular video games. In 2018, Major League Soccer (MLS), then associated with the FIFA video game series, decided to create its own league, called eMLS (see box below). This league has become the most competitive in North America. eMLS players represent their respective MLS clubs in competitions held throughout the year, including League Series One, League Series Two, and the eMLS Cup tournaments. In 2024, the eMLS is played on EA Sports FC 2024.