When it comes to football video games, FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer are very much like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi - both brilliant in their own right but constantly compared to one another.
Having finally claimed the UEFA Champions League rights from PES, FIFA undoubtedly now has a crucial edge in the supposed rivalry.
Aaron McHardy, an executive producer of FIFA 19, explained just how important the licence to Europe's biggest club competition was for EA Sports.
"Konami has had that licence and done well with it in PES," McHardy told Goal.
"In an effort to get as much authentic content as we can we brought the world’s biggest league back to FIFA and we’re quite excited about the opportunities that opens up for us.
"Champions League is important…it’s the trophy every kid on the playground is dreaming of winning when they’re playing growing up."
GFX Credit: Sam Brand
While FIFA certainly has the flash of Ronaldo, PES does boast a Messi-like mastery when it comes to actual gameplay with the franchise winning over a number of fans in recent years as a result.
Much like Messi and Ronaldo though, FIFA doesn't see the presence of PES as a bad thing with McHardy explaining that they push each other to keep improving.
"It’s always good to have a good competitor in the market place," he said
"It’s the best thing for our fans ultimately, they push us, we push them and ultimately everybody wants to make the best experience they can which means there’s more choice for fans.
"We obviously are doing everything that we can to make the best video game we can every single year.
"I mean at the end of the day it forces two big companies to put everything they’ve got behind the biggest sport in the world and replicating it in video game form and ultimately we get great products at the end of that and it creates an opportunity for our fans to choose what’s best."
After ten years in the hands of PES, the Champions League licence certainly looms as a massive advantage for EA Sports, who are going all out to incorporate the competition into FIFA 19.
FIFA 19 releases globally September 28 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
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