EA SPORTS FC 24 will feature the official Ballon d’Or award ceremony in-game

Getting rid of the FIFA brand has allowed those responsible for EA SPORTS FC 24 to reach agreements with other brands at their leisure. Among them is the highest award that a footballer can aspire to individually: The Ballon d’Or (or Golden Ball). The American company collaborated with France Football so that the ceremony takes part in the game during Career Mode. We spoke with those responsible to find out how they’ve managed to do so.

What is the Ballon d’Or ceremony like in EA SPORTS FC 24?

During the private presentation that MeriStation attended, we could see for the first time what the trophy delivery video will be like when it is held in career mode. We see a scenario very similar to the popular Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the place where the gala usually takes place. The mythical podium to the left of the stage breaks the background full of golden details as a symbol of the award. In this example, Pirlo appears in front of the microphone in the moments before revealing the name of the winner.

The Italian shows the card to the camera, where the name of the winning footballer can be read, which in this case is the one controlled by the user in the game. The camera shot switches to the three nominees as the winner rises to collect the trophy. There is no shortage of the usual eccentric clothing of the latest editions. In fact, one of them looks too much like the diamond-studded outfit Messi wore upon picking it up in the year 2021. The scene ends with the player raising the Ballon d’Or.

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The Ballon d’Or joins EA SPORTS FC 24 club

Alex Constantinescu, Senior Game Designer for Career Mode, explains that they had a plan B in case the collaboration did not occur in time for this delivery. They designed a generic secondary theater to deliver a fictitious award; however, the team in charge of dealing with the brands finally reached an agreement that made it possible to see the branding and the actual Ballon d’Or trophy in play.

For the cinematics, they took the ceremonies of recent years as a reference. Specifically, Constantinescu remembers one in which Didier Drogba hugged the winner on stage. It was in the 2019 edition, when the Argentine won his sixth Ballon d’Or. That moment was transferred to the video game as one more wink that provides authenticity. We can expect several soccer legends to participate in the videos. At the moment, names like Eric Cantoná, Pirlo, and Beckham, although they already revealed that all Icon players by Ultimate Team can make the leap to the ceremony.

EA SPORTS FC 24 will go on sale on September 29th for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.