Your mom will say, “What could be new about the new FIFA video game? Soccer is soccer, right?” Gamers and soccer players will sigh deeply. It’s been that way since 1993. Sporza brought together a gamer and a soccer player to test FIFA 21 for novelty and realism. Racing Genk’s top talent Pierre Dwomoh and Genk e-gamer Abdullah Waiss enjoyed themselves immensely.
Pierre and Abdullah test the new FIFA (including delicious goal)
“The nice thing is that in the beginning nobody is good at the new FIFA”
Due to the corona crisis, it was a bit longer than usual to wait, but the new FIFA has been on the (virtual) shelves since last week. Mother is proven wrong by our test audience.
“I really think the new FIFA is more realistic”, says Dwomoh (youth international and already a member of the first team at Genk as a 16-year-old). “As I sometimes think on the field, that works more often now. The through passes are smoother and finishing is easy. Fortunately for me!”
Waiss adds: “The nice thing about the early days of a new FIFA is that nobody is really very good yet. It is trial-and-error. What strikes me for now is that the through passes are very dangerous this year. For the time being 80 percent of goals. In addition, crosses are also a good way to score in FIFA 21. “
“Whether everyone will play like this now? Probably, but if after a month it becomes apparent that everyone starts playing like this, then there will usually be an update and it becomes less efficient. That’s the case every year.”
What strikes me is that through passes are very dangerous this year. For the time being, 80 percent of the goals have been scored. In addition, crosses are also a good way to score in FIFA 21.
Dwomoh and Waiss don’t have to think long about their favorite player. Kylian Mbappé has a serious streak ahead. “When I play with him, it’s like starting with a 2-0 lead,” said Dwomoh.
Mbappé will take over from Eden Hazard this year as a cover player. Have Hazard’s many injuries made him less attractive as a poster boy? The virtual Mbappé benefits from it. It is even better than last year.
“He is the fastest player in the game with a speed of 96 and can finish very well with left and right. Without a doubt he is the best player of this version,” said Waiss.
“There are people who say that the player on the cover is always being made a little bit better and I think that’s true this year. Last year he was already good, but this year he’s on a different level.”
“From the Belgians I tested Kevin De Bruyne as an attacking midfielder. His long shots are not normal. Almost as good as in real life, haha.”
One thing is certainly not realistic for the time being in the new FIFA. The stands are still packed with supporters. Let us hope that the reality in this one quickly catches up with the fiction.
Abdullah teaches you the elastico, the ball roll and the body feint in FIFA 21
Watch the match between Pierre Dwomoh and Abdullah Waiss in full
