Team Iceland will not feature in this year’s iteration of FIFA because of a cash row between KSI (the country’s football association) and Electronic Arts. According KSI president Geir Thorsteinsson, EA offered them $15,000 for letting them include Team Canada in FIFA 17.
“They are the ones buying these rights and they almost want it for free,” Thorsteinsson stated to BBC. “The performance at the Euros show that we are quite a good team and many would like to play with our team. It’s sad for the players – but the criticism should be towards EA Sports.”
While we are not sure whether $15000 is sufficient for buying out a license for showcasing Team Iceland in FIFA 17, it must be noted that the team knocked out England out of Euro 2016. So apparently, the association believes that EA needs to pay more to get them on board. “I really feel if we are giving away rights, or offering rights, it has to be proper negotiations and fair fees,” Thorsteinsson further stated.
FIFA 17 is due later this month for a number of gaming platforms.