World Cup 98

World Cup 98 for PlayStation is EA Sports’ officially licensed football game for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Developed principally by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label, it reached PlayStation in 1998, shortly before the tournament itself. Built from the technology behind FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, this console entry focuses on the finals atmosphere: national sides, tournament presentation, recognizable venues, and a route from the group stage to the trophy.

The central World Cup mode lets players choose the real 1998 finals groups or arrange a different competition from the teams included in the game. The format follows the tournament’s familiar structure. Group fixtures can finish level, while knockout ties proceed to extra time and penalties when a winner is needed. Matches are played with a 3D view of the pitch, and the game uses the PlayStation controller for passing, shooting, tackling, and directing players as attacks and defensive lines shift across the field.

World Cup 98 includes all 32 nations that qualified for France 1998, alongside eight additional international teams for exhibition play and custom tournament line-ups. Squad-customization options allow selections to be adjusted from available reserve players. Friendly matches offer a more immediate way to set up international fixtures; after a drawn game, players can accept the draw or continue into golden-goal extra time or a penalty shoot-out. Post-match presentation recognizes individual performances such as man of the match and clean sheets, while a completed tournament also tracks awards including the Golden Boot and FIFA Fair Play Award.

The PlayStation game refines the FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 foundation with tactical changes available during a match and revised player positioning. That makes it a distinct tournament-focused companion rather than simply a new set of teams pasted over the earlier FIFA release. Officially licensed national kits and the tournament branding help establish its period setting, while the game’s selectable teams extend beyond the actual finalists. In the United Kingdom release, John Motson and Chris Waddle provide match commentary, with Des Lynam and Gary Lineker introducing games.

One of World Cup 98’s most unusual features is World Cup Classics, a sequence of fifteen historic FIFA World Cup matches unlocked through tournament progress. The mode changes its presentation to evoke different eras: the oldest featured fixtures use sepia-toned visuals, several mid-century finals appear in black and white, and period-style team details are used where available. Kenneth Wolstenholme’s commentary is reserved for these historical games. Completing an unlocked classic opens the next one, giving the PlayStation version a progression path beyond repeating the 1998 tournament or one-off friendlies.

Released internationally under names including Copa del Mundo: Francia 98, Coupe du Monde 98, Frankreich 98: Die Fußball-WM, and World Cup 98: Coppa del Mondo, the game arrived on PlayStation as part of EA Sports’ wider multi-platform World Cup release. Its theme and structure place it squarely in the late-1990s FIFA lineage, but its dedicated license, French tournament framing, historical matches, and use of the 1998 finals format give World Cup 98 for PlayStation its own identity within the series.