September 19 – Two of French football’s heavyweights are joining forces – one on the pitch, the other on the console. Paris Saint-Germain, off the back of a stunning UEFA Champions League winning campaign, have struck a partnership with esports powerhouse Team Vitality, the most successful EA FC organisation in French gaming.
The alliance kicks in just in time for the release of EA FC 26 next week and will cover the next two EA FC Pro seasons. Under the deal, Vitality’s elite players will compete under a shared PSG/Vitality banner, representing the club in French and global competitions.
Leading the charge are two of the brightest young stars on the scene: Ilian Bouchi and Brice Masson. Both will don PSG kits as they target the eLigue 1 crown in 2026.
Masson, earned an extra level of pedigree in Riyadh this summer, finishing runner-up at this year’s Esports World Cup FC Pro World Championship and pocketing $150,000 in prize money.
PSG dipped their toes into football esports as early as 2016 without real breakthrough. The club have now opted for a shortcut – buying into the success of Vitality rather than building their own division from scratch. By hitching their wagon to Team Vitality, they instantly align with the best in France – a title they’re more than familiar with bearing.
Before the eLigue Un kicks off, first up for Brice and Ilian is the FC Pro Open, which begins on September 22. It comes at a time when EA Sports is doubling down on esports, running its own tournament structure since breaking away from FIFA in 2022 and investing heavily to grow what is fast becoming football’s dominant digital frontier.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]