Red Bull Wings Cup arrives in Italy with EA Sports FC, e‑sport growing

Thursday 10 September 2026 the debut in Italy of the Red Bull Wings Cup was announced, organized in collaboration with EA Sports FC. The tournament, designed for the millions of video game players, features two pathways – offline University League and online Open League – and will culminate in the National Final at Lucca Comics & Games on 30‑31 October.

Format and qualifications

The University League, reserved for university students enrolled in Italy, will start on 27 September in Rush mode on PlayStation 5 and will end on 18 October. In parallel, the online Open League, open to all adults residing in Italy, will begin on 28 September and conclude on 11 October, with matches in Ultimate Team 11vs11 mode.

Finals in Lucca and Miami

The top eight finishers of the University League will qualify directly for the National Final, which will take place between 30 and 31 October at Lucca Comics & Games. At the same venue, on 28‑29 October, two additional finalists from the Open League will be selected on site to complete the quarter‑final and semi‑final brackets, contested on 29‑30 October.

The winner of the National Final will represent Italy, one of the 79 participating countries, in the World Final in Miami, which will be held inside the Inter Miami CF Stadium in Florida.

Red Bull Wings Cup will also be available in Italian retail outlets thanks to a special edition of the Hero Can cans of Red Bull Energy Drink and Red Bull Zero. By scanning the QR code on the can, consumers can enter the code under the tab to unlock in‑game exclusive prizes and content on EA Sports FC 27, as well as answer a question to win a flight to the World Final in Miami.

Sony Interactive Entertainment is confirmed as the technical partner, providing the PlayStation 5 consoles, and Dario “Moonryde” Ferracci is confirmed as host, with additional guests yet to be announced.

The qualifiers are already underway: the University League kicked off its first matches on 27 September, while the Open League opened registrations on 28 September. Players will be able to follow results, videos, photos and live highlights on Sportmediaset, with live updates, standings and dedicated news.