It is the most popular sport in the world, so it is no surprise that developers have quite a history of trying to come up with the perfect soccer game. There have been some incredibly poor efforts over the years but it is fair to say that there have also been some absolute winners.
With the entire planet (ok, soccer fans everywhere) currently gearing up for the World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico in 2026, we thought we would take a look back at some of the best-ever soccer games.
Some of these feature the teams and players that you are used to watching on the highlights shows and features on all the best soccer betting sites. But others are a little less connected to the real world. Either way, we have enjoyed playing all of these and are prepared to admit that even just the thought of them brought a nostalgic tear to the eye.
FIFA (now EAFC)
The undisputed king of soccer video gaming. It was huge news when FIFA announced that it would split from Electronic Arts and go its own way a couple of years ago. But we have put them both together here as the best FIFA games were all made by EA and the playability has only continued now the series is known as EAFC.
It should be noted that we have not narrowed this down to a specific year, even though we know that many of you will have your own particular favorites. We just wanted to applaud the series as a whole for consistently bringing more innovation and realism to the soccer video game world.
Sensible Soccer
Modern-day FIFA – or EAFC – gamers might get excited about how true-to-life soccer video games are now. But for a while in the 1990s, it was the blocky graphics of Sensible Soccer that had everyone raving. With incredibly simple playability and a team management feature, Sensible Soccer was one of 2D video gaming’s finest achievements.
Taking Kick Off 2 as an inspiration, Sensible Soccer allowed gamers to control real teams in leagues and competitions and control the players easily. There were a few cheat moves available to those in the know but it was so addictive that no one minded. The Sensible World of Soccer sequel, which included teams and players from across the globe, only turned this title into a classic.
Pro Evolution Soccer
Pro Evolution Soccer, or PES or Pro Evo as it was more commonly known, was arguably a better game than FIFA. With every season, the two released a new version and it was usually this one that came out on top. The way the characters moved like the actual players they were depicting just made it so realistic.
In the early 2000s, PES was definitely the best soccer game on the market and featured incredibly playable game modes that outclassed FIFA. But EA’s FIFA eventually used its connections, licenses, and newer features to pull away, with this title eventually becoming just a free-to-play download. But for a while there, it was definitely the real deal.
Championship Manager
There are some real-life soccer players who never won championships or became household names but are regarded as heroes by gamers who prefer the more cerebral side of soccer than the actual game itself. Championship Manager turned keyboard tacticians into head coaches and spawned a whole generation who knew about obscure players in smaller leagues.
Anyone expecting to play an actual game of soccer and control the players on the pitch would have been sorely disappointed. This was all about the work put in away from the field. Scouting new players, dealing with transfers, and taking smaller teams to championships was what this classic strategy game was all about.
International Superstar Soccer
Soccer fans will rave about how realistic the likes of FIFA and Pro Evo are, but sometimes you want your games to be a bit more arcade-style. International Superstar Soccer, which came out in the mid-1990s, offered some incredible graphics for its day but still retained that arcade sensibility that gamers loved.
In a way, International Superstar Soccer can probably be regarded as a precursor to PES, with characters that were recognizably “real” players. But the very90s sprite look still gave you the feeling that you would need to put more money in to continue playing at any point. This was probably the last soccer video game released before the need for realism really took over.
Rocket League
OK, so Rocket League is not really a soccer game at all. But this title – which is almost 10 years old itself – has been a huge favorite since its launch. Combining soccer with cars was a simple but genius move, and there is no need to worry about picking the best team or players to succeed.
There is also an added element of luck in that one unexpected bounce or rebound can mean the difference between scoring and conceding a goal. It may not be exactlya soccer game but it has proved to be one of the biggest “sports” esports behind FIFA. So, we don’t feel bad about including it here at all!
