Best football video games to play before UEFA Euro 2024

25 May 2024

UEFA Euro 2024, a month-long holiday for all football fans, is on the horizon. It’s a great opportunity to pick the best football games that let you score goals on a virtual pitch.

EA Sports FC 2024

  • Release date: Septermber 29, 2023
  • Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
  • Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
  • Publisher: EA Sports

It’s the first EA Sports football game after the company ceased its 30-year-long collaboration with FIFA. There’s no revolution, so FC 24 features almost identical gameplay to what players have experienced in the recent installments of the FIFA series. Tons of licensed leagues, tournaments, clubs, and players, and diverse game modes that allow players to control teams, particular players, or focus on management tasks also stayed.

Furthermore, EA Sports FC 24 will also receive a free DLC that adds UEFA Euro 2024 as a playable tournament. Therefore, if you’re looking for the world’s most popular football simulation game, it may be the obvious choice. However, there are alternatives.

FIFA 23

  • Release date: September 30, 2022
  • Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
  • Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
  • Publisher: EA Sports

The final installment in the long-running FIFA series is still available. The differences between FIFA 23 and its successor aren’t particularly profound. Therefore, buying two games doesn’t seem to make much sense. However, some players may want a game that has already received all the patches and content. Also, I think that playing defense in FC24 is much harder than in the FIFA series.

Furthermore, FIFA 23 is the official video game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. I believe it might be a valid argument for many football fans. At least for me, official video games of big tournaments are a kind of memorabilia that lets me go back in time to the teams and players I cheered for. That’s why I return to World Cup 98 and FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 now and then, and I regret that 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil have never been released on PC.

eFootball 2024

  • Release date: September 30, 2021
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Android, iOS
  • Developer: Konami
  • Publisher: Konami

Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer has gone toe-to-toe with EA Sports’ FIFA for years. Both franchises had their advantages and faithful fanbases. However, the Japanese company changed its course completely. First, Konami renamed PES to eFootball PES in 2019. The following year, instead of releasing a new game, it updated the previous one. And it was only a herald of revolution. eFootball premiered in 2021, and since then, Konami has updated this title. Moreover, eFootball is free. You can buy additional content, but you don’t have to pay a dime if you want to play some casual matches.

On the flip side, eFootball seems to be inferior to the beloved Pro Evolution Soccer. Especially the reviews released upon its premiere were harsh. Fortunately, Konami has updated the game gradually. And, hey, it’s free, so you can play and see if you like it without risking losing money.

Sociable Soccer 24

  • Release date: November 16, 2023
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch
  • Developer: Tower Studios, Combo Breaker
  • Publisher: Tower Studios

The Sensible Soccer series is one of the most iconic football games of the early 1990s. Sociable Soccer 24 is its spiritual successor. It was developed by Tower Studios, led by John Hare, the creator of Sensible Soccer. Like its predecessor, the game offers arcade, fast-paced, and not very realistic gameplay. Sociable Soccer 24 acquired the FIFPRO license; hence, the game features 13 thousand real players. 

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions

  • Release date: September 29, 2020
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
  • Developer: Tamsoft
  • Publisher: Bandai Namco

The beloved Captain Tsubasa anime series taught us that the Japanese national team is a real powerhouse, pitches are much bigger than we think, and Earth is definitely smaller than they teach us in school. Oh, and don’t forget that every striker has time to rethink their whole life before scoring a goal. Nonetheless, it was an outstanding series. Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is its latest video game adaptation.

The game features two story modes and a character creator that allows you to become part of the Tsubasa world. And, of course, all the signature over-the-top moves are in the game too. As a result, Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions’ gameplay is very different from other football games.

Football Manager 24

  • Release date: November 6, 2023
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, iPad, iOS, Android, macOS, Apple Arcade, Nintendo Switch
  • Developer: Sports Interactive
  • Publisher: SEGA

Football Manager 24 is a game for football fans who feel that planning strategy and picking the right players is more fun than all that running and kicking. The franchise is known for covering all the areas of conducting a football club. With countless licensed leagues, FM24 is the ultimate playground for all tactic aficionados. It’s also worth adding that its Metascore of 84 is a solid seal of approval.

We Are Football 2024

  • Release date: March 4, 2024
  • Platforms: PC
  • Developer: Winning Streak Games
  • Publisher: HandyGames, THQ Nordic

This football manager game was created by the people behind EA Sports’ FIFA Manager. Therefore, if you prefer analyzing squads, contracts, and statistics to actually watching games, you may consider giving it a shot. A noteworthy thing about We Are Football 2024 is its editing options. You can modify various aspects of the game and create clubs, leagues, staff, and even supporter chants.