Ireland has decided to seriously gain a foothold on the virtual football map — the local WYLDE esports club has officially become a key gaming partner of the League of Ireland. This project will provide high-quality support to ELOI (eLeague of Ireland), which is in fact the main national EA FC competition.
The WYLDE organization itself is based in Dublin and is known for being co-owned by the legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The terms of the deal in monetary terms remained behind the scenes, but in fact the club will provide all the necessary infrastructure and resources for the championship.
It’s worth considering that WYLDE was founded by Steve Daly, a former investment banker, and David Cronin. In recent years, they have managed to get featured in VALORANT and Rocket League, although just last month, by the way, the team left the Rainbow Six discipline due to the dubious stability of the Ubisoft shooter. In addition to tournament activity, the team oversees the National Esports Center of Ireland, a top place for training young talents.
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Direct entry to FC Pro 26 through the ELOI League: format and rules
ELOI: How does the EA FC National Championship work in Ireland
ELOI, or eLeague of Ireland, is the official national EA FC tournament, tightly integrated into the structure of Irish esports. It brings together representatives of Premier Division and First Division clubs, building a real bridge between traditional football and the esports scene under the patronage of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). The 2026 format organically continues the logic of previous seasons: open online selections are combined with an intense offline finale, which allows for maximum community involvement.
The path to the top is clearly laid out. It all starts with open qualifications — they are available to any player through a platform like Challengermode. Those who qualify enter the group stage with a double round-robin tournament: four groups of five participants, each with the top two advancing to the next round. Then there’s a single—elimination playoff, and the final point is the LAN finals with a prize pool and live broadcasts.
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This progression makes ELOI the official national route to professional EA FC. The winner of the final gets a ticket to the eChampions League, which opens the way to the global arena — the Riyadh Masters and other major events within EA FC Pro. This chain motivates hundreds of players from all over the country and strengthens the connection of the Irish scene with international esports.
This year, 20 of the country’s strongest players will compete for the title of Irish EA FC champion. Apparently, everything will start in early March with open qualifiers using the Double Elimination system. As a result, the top 14 qualifiers will advance to the main stage, where four top players from last season and a couple of guest stars are already waiting for them.
The tournament itself was divided into groups: 20 applicants will be divided into four quintets. The leaders of each five in the round-robin system will take direct invitations to the finals, and the guys who took places from 2nd to 4th will go to the playoffs for the remaining slots.
The highlight will come on March 22 at the National Esports Center. It is there that the winner will be determined in offline format, which, in truth, will take not only the cup, but also a place in the eChampions League. Moreover, the winner will go to the FC Pro 26 World Cup qualifiers, which will be held as part of the summer Esports World Cup. It’s going to be a super event, with no options.
