FIFA 2000: Major League Soccer

Brazilian partnership

In Brazil, Electronic Arts made a partnership with a non-profit organization called "Fundação Gol de Letra", created by local soccer stars Raí and Leonardo, to revert part of the profit from the game's sales to that organization. As a result of the partnership, Raí was also featured on the local version of the cover.

The "Fundação Gol de Letra" organization help poor children to learn how to read and write.

Portuguese version

Following the potential lawsuit Electronic Arts faced because of the unauthorized usage of the Portuguese league in FIFA 99, FIFA 2000 lacks any reference to Portuguese teams - not even the national team. As the game still had a localized box (this time, featuring Simão Sabrosa of Barcelona) and fearing the removal of local teams would harm sales, the box has a caption going "learn inside how to build the Portuguese championship", which in turn aren't more than instructions to the in-game editor.

Robbie Williams

To close the licensing deal of the title track (It's Only Us), Robbie Williams allegedly demanded EA to include Port Vale in the game. Port Vale, then in Division Two (third tier of professional football in England) is Williams' (who is also known as a big fan of the sport) childhood team and investor since February 2006, was included in the "rest of the world" league.

Robbie Williams himself was included as a player in one of the secret teams, as well as being featured on the game introduction and back cover, and his previous albums (Life Thru A Lens and I've Been Expecting You) were advertised in the last page of the manual.

Awards

• PC Player (Germany)
  • Issue 01/2000 - Best Sports Game in 1999

Information also contributed by Emepol and Luis Silva