EA reckons FIFA is increasing the popularity of football in America

The growing appeal of the FIFA series in the US is helping to increase the popularity of an obscure sport called ‘pro soccer’ in the region.

We think EA means ‘football’, so we’re going to work on that pretence.

Apparently 34 per cent of US gamers who’ve played FIFA have gone on to become fans of the beautiful game while 50 per cent reckon playing it has increased their interest.

The US is now FIFA’s second biggest territory, presumably behind the UK, with the region hosting 292m games, 3.1bn minutes and 637m goals in the last year alone. 95 per cent of US football gamers play FIFA.

Furthermore, the number of users playing as one of America’s Major League Soccer teams in-game is up 112 per cent in FIFA 15 compared to FIFA 14.

Ex-Fulham man and current Seattle Sounders player Clint Dempsey is the top in-game MLS scorer with 9.6m goals followed by former Arsenal star and current New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry (7.7m), former Newcastle and current Seattle Sounders front man Obafemi Martins (7.3m), ex-Spurs man and now LA Galaxy forward Robbie Keane (4.4m) and his team-mate Landon Donovan (4.3m).

More matches in the US are played with Seattle Sounders than any other MLS team followed by LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, Chicago Fire and DC United.