Football is the most popular sport there is! Football matches today bring together tens of thousands of supporters in stadiums and hundreds of millions in front of television screens. Qatar will therefore be at the center of their attention in 2022.

This is where the winner of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be decided.

Thirty-two teams will meet at the World Cup in Qatar. The underdogs will face the favorites for the chance to become world champions – a scenario not unlike that of the most popular RPG games .

Before we dive into the world of football video games, here are some questions about the World Cup in Qatar.

What is the schedule for the FIFA World Cup in 2022?

The first game of the World Cup and the group stages will start on November 20 at 17:00 CET. These will continue until the first round of playoffs on December 3. The quarter-finals begin on December 9 and the semi-finals are scheduled for December 13.

The final will take place on December 18. Between matches, you can always download the best online football games.

Where will the World Cup be held in 2026?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be unique in that it will be hosted by three North American countries: Mexico, USA and Canada.

How will the 2022 FIFA World Cup take place?

The competition will start with the qualification. Teams will be divided into groups and must place first in their group to qualify for the World Cup. Hosts qualify automatically.

At the FIFA World Cup 22 in Qatar, the competition begins with groups of four teams. Each team plays against another and the first two teams qualify for the play-offs.

At this point, teams play playoff matches and the losing team is kicked out of the competition. This continues until there are only two teams left in the final and only one of them wins.

To get into the spirit of the 2022 World Cup, we’ve dug through the archives to track down some of the greatest football games of all time. Sure, they aren’t among the best action games out there , but they have huge armies of fans.

The best football games to discover

What are the best free football games released in different eras, from PC games to console games? Our article is not about FIFA 22 and you will not find online football games for mobile here. We have chosen very unexpected representatives of football video games.

Sensitive World of Soccer

Sensible World of Soccer is the most remembered online soccer game among European gamers, as it was released for the famous Amiga computer.

Unfortunately, back then it wasn’t possible to download games like it is today, which prevented it from attracting the international audience it certainly deserved. However, those who have played Sensible World of Soccer have fallen in love with the game.

Game controls were simple, with eight directions of movement and one keystroke. However, it was possible to perform many actions depending on the situation.

For many, this is the first time that a game of football has evolved from what used to be a variation of the game of Pong.

The main novelty was the ability to manage the careers of team members. For the first time, you could buy and sell players to improve your team. This led to a new direction in terms of management, characteristic of today’s football.

The game was so important that Stanford University named it one of the ten most important video games of all time.

FIFA 10

There is a whole legacy of the FIFA franchise, arguably the most well-known game in the world , from street versions to international football. Players often say that FIFA online soccer games are all about profit.

Indeed, the players and the teams change slightly each year, but in fact, the matches differ little from one year to another. Nevertheless, some versions of FIFA have exceeded the boldest expectations.

FIFA 10 is perhaps the most remarkable of the FIFA games. Part of its appeal lies in its return to the basics: action on the pitch. The gameplay techniques are varied and engaging, and the gameplay is flawless.

Even if you’re bothered by the fairly basic block graphics compared to football video games like FIFA 22, the result is still stunning.

Rocket League

It may lack the realism of FIFA 22 and use cars instead of players, but Rocket League is one of the most popular soccer games today. The principle of the game is simple: you take a small buggy or a car on the ground with your team of three people.

Score as many goals as possible by hitting the ball into your opponent’s goal without exploding. It’s a lot of fun and that makes it one of the most played video games right now .

The popularity of Rocket League is huge. This free game combines sports and action games in a fun and cool environment. This football game is so popular that entire eSports leagues are now devoted to it.

You can play for fun with your family, who will easily master the game, or compete against your friends online.

FIFA Street 2

FIFA Street was a true outlier in FIFA games, and the risk paid off. This title is not part of the free browser football games. Released on Xbox, PS2, GameCube and Nintendo DS, it took the action from the field to back alleys and parking lots around the world.

Unsurprisingly, this made it a global hit.

The matches were between two teams of four people. All fights were timed. The objective was to score a goal or earn points by performing tricks.

This soccer game had an outstanding soundtrack, which is rare in soccer video game music , as well as and many unlockable legends.

Although the game received poor reviews, it was ahead of its time. Today, free soccer games and sports games in general are moving towards unlockable rooms and street modes. This humble game pioneered that.

Pro Evolution Soccer 6

For a while at the turn of the millennium, FIFA games held the top spot among the best soccer games. This is partly due to the availability of licenses. Who wouldn’t want to collect real players and legendary teams?

Pro Evolution Soccer has slowly grown as a franchise, working on various aspects of the game to become a top contender. Pro Evolution Soccer 6 has covered all the essentials.

This edition had it all: different game modes, shops to buy accessories, but the most interesting thing was that it could connect to the PlayStation Network, at a time when online sports games were just beginning to emerge.

The developers had finally succeeded in fulfilling the expectations of the players in terms of football games.