Major League Soccer and the Fox Sports TV Network are joining forces to hold a FIFA 20 tournament. This won’t be like any other FIFA eSports tournament though, with professional FIFA players teaming up with MLS stars. For example, New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long will partner with pro gamer George Adamou, LA Galaxy forward Chicharito pairs up with Godfather, and so on. The 16-team tournament will begin on Sunday, April 19th, broadcasting on Fox Sports 1 and Fox Deportes. According to a report from Polygon, this tournament also has a charitable cause; donations will be made to Feeding America and Food Bank Canada after each broadcast weekend.
This is how the bracket will line up for the tournament
The tournament will consist of four mini-brackets each decided by two-legged single elimination matches. The four winners of each of the mini-brackets will then compete on May 17th to decide the winner. Each mini bracket will broadcast on separate weekends, with all players competing from the comforts of their own homes.
It seems that MLS following the lead of other major professional sports leagues in providing content during the COVID-19 pandemic. Major League Baseball is holding a MLB: The Show 20 tournament featuring 30 MLB players, and NBA stars competed in a NBA 2K20 tournament this past Saturday. It makes sense for MLS to do something like this, and it may increase the appeal and awareness of Major League Soccer once this is all said and done.
