Euro 2020 is still on in PES 2020, even if it isn’t in real life

UEFA’s Euro 2020 national team tournament will come to eFootball PES 2020 on April 30. Whether it happens in real life is still TBD.

So, sports fans, add PES 2020 to your list of substitute experiences with practically all major sporting events postponed for the near future, in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic. But in the socially-distant comfort of our living rooms, Euro 2020 is still on PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One, as a free update to Konami’s soccer title at the end of next month.

That update will include all 55 nations in UEFA (whether their teams are among the 24 qualified for the group stage or not) in their authentic kits, with their real-world lineups. London’s Wembley Stadium, site of the final and semifinals, also joins PES 2020 as a playable venue.

UEFA Euro 2020 is exclusive to PES 2020, a nice prize in Konami’s simmering licensing battle against EA Sports’ FIFA series. However, rumors have it that the tournament itself could be postponed up to a year, if not canceled outright. On Saturday, the BBC reported that FIFA had recommended all international competitions in March and April be called off.

That decision is up to football’s regional governing bodies, though, and Euro 2020 still has four group stage berths to decide from an 8-team playoff on March 26 and March 31. Several nations have requested their matches be postponed because of travel problems and restrictions related to the outbreak. UEFA, meanwhile, will hold a video conference on Tuesday to determine what to do about Euro 2020, whether that is postponement by up to a year, or called off entirely.

Nonetheless, the show will go on for PES 2020. That includes the game’s myClub mode featuring standout players from Euro 2020 throughout the tournament. However, it may not include Konami’s plans to stage special match days, where players choose a nation to play in online multiplayer.

Eurogamer noted on Saturday that EA Sports’ regular Team of the Week promotion in FIFA 20’s Ultimate Team mode would not be released for Week 27. This is partly because major football in Britain — comprising the Premier League, Football League, Women’s Super League and Championship, and the national club leagues of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland — has shut down until April 3.