FC Pro Open Cups: Everything You Need to Know for the 2024/25 Season

The FC Pro Open Cups are back, and EA SPORTS FC is making this season’s tournaments bigger and better than ever. The stakes are high, with these esports tournaments now offering a route to the FC Pro World Championship Play-Ins in Summer 2025.

Key Dates for the FC Pro Open Cups

The FC Pro Open Cups are split into three main events across November 2024, December 2024, and January 2025, each featuring two stages: a ladder competition and playoffs.

• November Cup: Ladder (Nov 5-11) | Playoffs (Nov 16 & 17)
• December Cup: Ladder (Dec 1-9) | Playoffs (Dec 14 & 15)
• January Cup: Ladder (Jan 5-13) | Playoffs (Jan 18 & 19)

Structure: Ladder and Playoffs

Each Open Cup kicks off with a Regional Ladder Tournament, where competitors start from scratch, earning points in single-leg matches that include extra time and penalties if needed. Over seven days, players can participate in as many matches as they want, needing at least 20 games to be eligible for the playoffs.

The best-ranked players across each region move forward to the Playoffs, marking the next stage in this esports showdown.

• Regions and Player Slots:
  • Africa: 64
  • Asia North: 32
  • Asia South: 32
  • Europe East & West: 256 each
  • LATAM North: 64
  • LATAM South: 256
  • Middle East: 256
  • North America: 64
  • Oceania: 32

Playoffs Format

The playoffs use a Swiss-system on Day 1 and a single-elimination format on Day 2:

1. Swiss-System (Day 1): Competitors are seeded based on ladder performance, playing one-leg matches. With three losses, they’re out of the tournament.
2. Single-Elimination (Day 2): Based on their Day 1 placements, competitors face off in two-leg matches to decide the ultimate winners.

Scoring and Points Accumulation

Circuit Points are earned across all three tournaments and ultimately decide who moves on to the FC Pro World Championship. Here’s a breakdown of points distribution:

• Swiss-System Wins: 15 points per win
• Single-Elimination Placement: 400 points for 1st place, 300 for 2nd, down to 50 for the top 64.

Prize Pool

A total prize pool of $321,000 is up for grabs, distributed based on regional and finishing placement:

• Top Prizes by Region:
  • Europe East & West: $8,500 for 1st place
  • LATAM North/South, Middle East, North America: $5,000 for 1st
  • Africa, Asia North/South, Oceania: $3,000 for 1st

EA SPORTS FC’s Growing Esports Presence

The incredible growth of EA SPORTS FC as a global esport has led to a significant rise in audience engagement, and the competitive demand has impacted other industries as well.

For instance, the surge in popularity has prompted sportsbooks to integrate an esports API into their platforms. With real-time EA FC statistics at their disposal, sportsbooks now provide faster, more accurate data for betting, keeping pace with this fast-evolving esports ecosystem.

How to Watch

Tune in on November 2-3, 2024, as 64 top players compete in the FC Pro Open Global Qualifier. These matches will be streamed live on EA SPORTS FC PRO’s YouTube and Twitch channels. Viewership rewards, including FUT items, will be available to fans who watch.

🚨 4 days to go!#FCPro Open Global Qualifier kicks off this weekend with the top 17 players qualifying for the Group Stage! 👀

— EA SPORTS FC Pro (@EASPORTSFCPro) October 29, 2024

Broadcast Times by Region

• North America: New York (12 PM), California (9 AM)
• South America: Buenos Aires (1 PM), Bogota (11 AM)
• Europe: UK (4 PM), Paris (5 PM)
• Asia/Oceania: Hong Kong (12 AM), Sydney (3 AM)
• Africa: Lagos (5 PM), Johannesburg (6 PM)
• Middle East: Riyadh (7 PM), Dubai (8 PM)