LALIGA could have made the global launch of EA SPORTS FC 27 into just another online stream. Instead, they went bigger… turning a game launch into a real football match, with legendary players and top streamers pulling on their boots on a pitch in New York.
From Screen to Pitch: The FC27 MATCHDAY Idea
On 16 September 2026, LALIGA and EA SPORTS hosted LALIGA FC27 MATCHDAY in New York. The exhibition match brought together four global football legends, Luís Figo, Marcelo, Rivaldo, and Javier Mascherano. And more than a dozen content creators from Spain, the UK, Brazil, the US, Japan, Turkey, and the MENA region.
Players were split into Team Green and Team Coral, captained by Mascherano and Marcelo. Team Green featured Rivaldo and UK streamer KSI. Team Coral had Figo and Brazilian influencer Luva de Pedreiro. The match was refereed by David Suárez and Javi Bridge.
LALIGA’s chief commercial officer, Jorge de la Vega, explained the idea behind it… “LALIGA FC27 MATCHDAY reflects our commitment to creating experiences that connect football with new forms of entertainment. Bringing together legends and creators from different regions in New York allows us to celebrate the launch of FC 27 with a community that experiences football in so many different ways around the world.”
Why Legends and Streamers?
The pairing isn’t random. LALIGA is tapping into two different strengths: legends bring authority and story, while streamers bring reach and relatability.
Figo, Marcelo, Rivaldo, Mascherano—these names carry countless football memories. When they step back onto a pitch, they reconnect with generations of fans. Creators like KSI and Luva de Pedreiro, meanwhile, shape how football is talked about on social media today. They don’t need traditional media to spread a message—their channels are the media.
LALIGA’s plan is simple: put both groups on the same pitch, and you attract older fans who remember the legends and younger audiences who follow the streamers. Gaming is the bridge between those two worlds.
Part of a Bigger “Hybrid Football” Experiment
LALIGA FC27 MATCHDAY isn’t a one-off. It’s the latest move under LALIGA and EA SPORTS’ long-running “Transforming the Game” partnership.
That partnership has already produced several new formats. In December 2024, LALIGA and EA SPORTS hosted LALIGA EA SPORTS X FC 25 RUSH at GAMERGY. They tried a hybrid format with a “first half in-game, second half on a real pitch”. It featured legends like Figo and Puyol alongside streamers such as DjMaRiiO and Spursito.
In December 2025, the second LALIGA FC 26 Community Challenge took place at Callao City Lights in Madrid. It introduced community voting for the first time. That meant fans could vote on captains, special rules, and the MVP. By FC27 MATCHDAY, that formula had been taken to New York and onto the stage of a global launch.
More Than Just an Exhibition Match
FC27 MATCHDAY was the closing segment of EA SPORTS’ FC27 WORLD PREMIER. The full day included game showcases, media sessions, and fan interactions. Their exhibition match served as the finale, turning a launch event into a celebration.
The event was streamed across LALIGA’s digital platforms. The hashtag #FC27MATCHDAY was spreading on social media at the same time. For LALIGA, the audience was the global fanbase watching through streamers’ cameras, LALIGA’s official channels, and social media clips.
De la Vega summed up the core idea: “This event also reflects the strength of our strategic alliance with EA SPORTS. We’ve been working together for years to transform the football experience, both on and off the pitch.”
Turning a game launch into a real match, putting legends and streamers in the same shirt, and making New York the meeting point for global football’s digital culture. What they are testing is a new way of marketing football, like by targeting gamers with a huge 20Bet Asia catalogue. Games aren’t an add-on to football; they’re an extension of the experience itself.
