Information on the Virtual Bundesliga

In 2012, DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga became the first professional football league to have its own eSport competition when it launched the Virtual Bundesliga by WOW (VBL) in partnership with EA SPORTS. The VBL has enjoyed steadily growing popularity since its launch. The Virtual Bundesliga remains to this day the only competition of a professional league to be integrated directly in the EA SPORTS FC game series.

In the 2018-19 season, the increasing popularity of the VBL, the growing relevance of eSport in general and the DFL’s focus on football simulations led to the launch of the VBL Club Championship. The participating clubs determine the German club champion in eFootball in a final tournament.

One or two players can qualify for the competition for the overall title of “German eFootball Champion” among the individual players via the final table. In addition to the title of “German eFootball Champion”, the VBL Grand Final will also be played for a prize money pool totalling 100,000 euros.

The level of performance in the German eFootball scene is also increasing because clubs and the DFL are working together to drive forward professionalisation. Among other things, this involves further developing the structures of the competition and the infrastructure within the clubs. With effect from the 2023/24 season, the VBL Club Championship was anchored in the DFL’s statutes, making it the third official competition of the DFL e.V. alongside the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.

In addition, the DFL organises the worldwide Virtual Bundesliga (VBL) International Series to get fans around the globe excited about eFootball and the Bundesliga.

More information on the VBL Club Championship.