ELOI 2026 with EA SPORTS FC™ 26 Set To Get Underway
The League of Ireland and Electronic Arts (EA) are proud to announce the launch of the fourth edition of the ELOI, as part of EA SPORTS FC Pro, the official national esports competition for EA SPORTS™. The 2026 tournament will take place throughout March, culminating in a live Finals event at Ireland's National Esports Centre in Cork on March 22nd.
Originally launched in 2021, the ELOI is a key programme of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to support the development of esports across the Republic of Ireland. This year's event is proudly being organised and powered in partnership with WYLDE, Ireland's Premier Esports organisation.
Registration is now open for Irish-based players aged 16 and over to apply for the online qualifiers, which take place on March 4th and 5th. This year, two separate qualifiers will be hosted: one specifically open to U18 players, empowering a new generation of players to qualify for the League stage alongside the Open Qualifiers for all players aged 16 and above.
The ELOI League stages are where the qualified individual players will represent all 20 Clubs in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division. The players are battling it out to be crowned national champion, secure a guaranteed spot in the UEFA eChampions League 2026 and also in the prestigious 2026 EA SPORTS FC Pro World Championship Play-Ins.
The ELOI will provide an Official Tournament structure for the Republic of Ireland and allow fans to follow their favourite Irish clubs and players throughout the competition, with the Finals streamed live on the FAI YouTube Channel.
Victory and the title in 2025 went to JP Sleator, representing Shelbourne FC, who secured back-to-back victories in a memorable Grand Final against Ciaran Walsh (Cork City), hosted at the Aviva Stadium. JP went on to compete in the eChampions League in Manchester in May 2026 and EA SPORTS FC Pro World ChampionshipPlay-Ins in Riyadh in August.
