World Cup 98

World Cup 98
system
World Cup 98: The Football Game That Captured the Spirit of the Tournament

Let me be honest with you. There are football games that play well, and then there are football games that make you feel like you are actually at the World Cup. World Cup 98 was the latter.

Released in 1998 to coincide with the tournament in France, this game was special. It was the first official World Cup game developed by EA Sports after they obtained the exclusive rights from FIFA in 1997 . And unlike the old 2D games with bird’s-eye views, this one brought the beautiful game into the third dimension .

For those of us who grew up in the 90s, booting up World Cup 98 meant hearing the iconic “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba blasting through the speakers . It meant picking your favourite team, running onto a pitch that looked real, and trying to lift that trophy. Even today, for retro gaming fans and football nostalgics, this game holds a very special place.

Let me take you back to 1998 and break down everything you need to know about this classic.

Quick Info Table

Category	Details
Developer	EA Canada
Publisher	EA Sports
Release Date	March 31, 1998 (PlayStation) / April 30, 1998 (PC) / May 18, 1998 (N64)
Genre	Football Simulation
Platforms	Windows (PC), PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy
Intro Song	Chumbawamba – “Tubthumping”

Detailed Game Description

Let me start by explaining why this game was such a big deal back then. EA had just secured the official World Cup license in 1996 . This was their first chance to do the tournament justice. And they went all out.

The Visual Leap: From 2D to 3D

Before World Cup 98, most football games were 2D affairs with a top-down view . This game changed everything. The PC version used DirectX to deliver a fully 3D experience . The players had polygons. The stadiums looked like actual stadiums. You could see the crowd waving flags.

The N64 version was particularly impressive for its time, running in a higher resolution mode than many other sports games . The animations were smooth. Players celebrated after goals with hugs and pile-ups. When you slide-tackled the goalie, it looked brutal and hilarious at the same time .

The Teams: Authenticity Matters

This was the first football game where the kits actually looked right. EA secured authentic national team kits complete with manufacturer logos . The only exception was the goalkeepers, who got generic kits. But for 1998, this level of detail was unprecedented.

The game featured every single team that qualified for the 1998 World Cup in France . But EA went a step further. They also included eight nations that did not qualify:

Australia
Canada
China
Greece
Portugal
Republic of Ireland
Russia
Sweden

If you wanted to play friendly matches with your favourite team that missed the cut, you could. All 40 teams featured authentic kits and player names.

World Cup Mode: The Main Event

The centrepiece of the game was the World Cup tournament mode. You had two options :

Actual Groups: Play with the real-life draw from France 98
Random Groups: Let the game generate a random set of groups from the 40 teams

Each match took place in a recreation of the actual 1998 World Cup stadiums. The atmosphere was incredible. The crowd roared. The commentary (on PlayStation and PC) kept you engaged.

Important rule change from FIFA 98: Group matches did not go to extra time or penalties. If you drew a match, it ended as a draw . Just like the real tournament.

After the group stage, the knockout rounds began. And here, if a match was tied after 90 minutes, you played extra time with the golden goal rule. First to score wins . The tension was unbearable in the best possible way.

At the end of the tournament, the game showed you :

The World Cup trophy celebration
The Golden Boot winner (most goals)
The FIFA Fair Play Award winner

World Cup Classics Mode: Play Football History

This was my favourite feature. World Cup Classics Mode let you replay 15 legendary matches from World Cup history .

You started with the 1982 final (Italy vs West Germany) unlocked. Win that, and you unlocked the next one. The matches went all the way back to the 1930 final .

The attention to detail was amazing:

For the 1950, 1954, and 1966 finals, the graphics switched to black and white — exactly as they were shown on television
For the 1930 and 1938 matches, the graphics used a sepia tone
Period-accurate kits, hairstyles, and player names
For matches before substitutions were introduced, you could not change players

The commentary for this mode was provided by Kenneth Wolstenholme, the legendary BBC commentator who called the 1966 World Cup final . Hearing his voice say “They think it’s all over… it is now!” while playing the 1966 final was absolute magic.

In-Game Management: The Tactical Revolution

World Cup 98 introduced “on-the-fly” tactical management that was ahead of its time . You could set up three different custom formations before the match and switch between them during play at the touch of a button .

The game also included “plays” you could run:

Offside trap: Draw the enemy offside
Through ball run: Set up breakaway passes
Various attacking and defensive strategies

You could set your team’s strategy to offensive maximum, adjust each player’s individual attacking bias and aggression level . Want your front line to be supersonic at the expense of ball control? You could do that.

The AI: Smart and Challenging

The AI in World Cup 98 was a major improvement over previous football games . You could not just hold down the sprint button and run through the defence, even on amateur difficulty. The CPU defence was tough. You had to find creative ways to move the ball and exploit enemy weaknesses.

The game also had a handicapping system for more evenly matched contests between otherwise mismatched teams . So if you wanted to play as Jamaica against Italy and not get destroyed 10-0, the game helped balance things out.

Game Speed and Customisation

You could adjust the game speed to your preference . Want a fast, arcade-style match? Crank it up. Want something slower and more strategic? Turn it down.

You could also customise national squads by including players from a reserves pool . If you thought a particular player should have been in the squad, you could add them.

The UK Version: A Different Commentary Experience

The United Kingdom version of the game had a different commentary team :

John Motson and Chris Waddle provided the in-match commentary
Des Lynam and Gary Lineker introduced the matches

For fans of British football broadcasting, this was a dream team. Motson’s distinctive voice calling a World Cup match in a video game was something special.

The Intro Song: Tubthumping by Chumbawamba

If you played this game, you remember the intro. “I get knocked down, but I get up again. You are never gonna keep me down.” Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” was the perfect anthem for a football game . It was energetic, catchy, and got you pumped up for the matches ahead.

Reception and Awards

World Cup 98 was critically acclaimed. On GameRankings, it received favourable reviews across all platforms .

Key awards and recognition:

PC Guide named it the winner of a group test against Actua Soccer 2, Three Lions, and Sensible Soccer ’98, calling it “Simply the best football game in the world”
It won “Best Sports” award (along with FIFA 98 and FIFA 99) at Computer Gaming World’s 1999 Premier Awards
It was a finalist for Computer Games Strategy Plus’ 1998 “Sports Game of the Year” award
The PlayStation version was a bestseller in the UK
At the 1999 Milia festival in Cannes, it won a “Gold” prize for revenues above €48 million in the EU

Review scores:

PC Zone gave it 91%
Hyper gave all versions 90%
Next Generation praised the PlayStation version for “fast reactions to controller commands, realistic player movement, clean graphics, an excellent soundtrack, and adrenaline-pumping excitement”
The Polish Wikipedia entry notes that after winning the World Cup mode, you unlock the Classics mode

The one criticism: The AI felt similar to FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, and the N64 version had some choppiness compared to its predecessor . Also, the jump from nearly 200 teams in FIFA 98 to only 40 in World Cup 98 disappointed some players .

But for a game focused solely on the World Cup experience, the trade-off was worth it.

What Was Missing Compared to FIFA 98

If you owned FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, you might have wondered whether World Cup 98 was worth buying. The honest answer?

Fewer teams: FIFA 98 had nearly 200 teams. World Cup 98 had 40.
Similar core gameplay: The engine was based on FIFA 98 with minor improvements
New features: The tactical management, Classics mode, and authentic World Cup presentation were the main draws

If you were a casual player who already owned FIFA 98, you might have been fine skipping this. But if you were a football fanatic, the added tactical possibilities and tournament atmosphere made it worth the purchase .

The Legacy and the Console Differences

World Cup 98 was released on multiple platforms, each with its own strengths :

Platform	Key Features
PC (Windows)	DirectX 3D graphics, full commentary (Motson/Waddle), highest visual fidelity
PlayStation	Full commentary, smooth gameplay, best-selling version in the UK
Nintendo 64	Ran in medium resolution mode (higher than many N64 games), but lacked the full commentary due to cartridge space limits
Game Boy	2D handheld version developed by Tiertex Design Studios, published by THQ

Note for N64 owners: The game did not use Factor 5’s voice compression technology, so much of the PlayStation and PC commentary did not make the cut . You still got crowd cheers and sparse commentary from Lynam and Motson, but not the full experience.

How to Play World Cup 98 on a Modern PC in 2026

Let me be honest with you. Running a 1998 game on Windows 10 or 11 is not straightforward.

The game was designed for Windows 95 with 16 MB of RAM. Modern operating systems have come a long way. Here are your options:

Original Disc + Compatibility Mode: If you have the CD-ROM, install it and set compatibility mode to Windows 95 or 98. This may or may not work depending on your system.
Emulation: The PlayStation version runs well on emulators like ePSXe or DuckStation. The N64 version runs well on Project64.
Abandonware Sites: The game is considered “abandonware” by some. Pre-configured versions are available online. Use at your own risk.

The Polish Wikipedia notes that the system requirements were very modest: a 100 MHz processor, 16 MB of RAM, and a 4x CD-ROM drive .

What is the System Requirement for World Cup 98?

Let me be honest with you. The system requirements are so low that any computer made in the last 20 years will exceed them. The challenge is software compatibility, not hardware.

PC Minimum Requirements (from 1998)

Component	Requirement
Operating System	Windows 95
Processor	100 MHz Pentium or equivalent
Memory (RAM)	16 MB
CD-ROM Drive	4x speed
Graphics	DirectX-compatible card

Can Your PC Run World Cup 98?

Yes. Your PC is almost certainly powerful enough. The minimum requirement was a 100 MHz processor. Modern CPUs run at 3,000+ MHz. That is 30 times faster.

The real question is whether you can get the game to run. Windows 95 compatibility is not native on modern systems. If you have the original CD-ROM, you will need to use compatibility mode or a virtual machine.

Console Versions

The game runs natively on:

PlayStation (original)
Nintendo 64
Game Boy

The PlayStation and N64 versions are playable on modern hardware through emulation. The discs and cartridges are collector’s items now and can be expensive.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

These are the questions people ask most often about World Cup 98. I have gathered them from forums, reviews, and community discussions.

1. What is the difference between FIFA 98 and World Cup 98?

FIFA 98 (Road to World Cup) had nearly 200 teams and allowed you to qualify for the World Cup. World Cup 98 focused exclusively on the final tournament itself with 40 teams, authentic stadiums, and the World Cup Classics mode. The core gameplay was similar, but World Cup 98 added tactical management features and a better tournament atmosphere .

2. Which teams are in World Cup 98?

Every team that qualified for the 1998 World Cup in France (32 teams), plus eight additional nations: Australia, Canada, China, Greece, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Russia, and Sweden .

3. How do I unlock World Cup Classics mode?

Win the World Cup mode. The 1982 final is unlocked first, and each completed classic match unlocks the next one in sequence .

4. What is the song in the World Cup 98 intro?

“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba . You are welcome for that earworm.

5. Who does the commentary in World Cup 98?

UK version: John Motson and Chris Waddle (in-match), Des Lynam and Gary Lineker (intros)
World Cup Classics mode: Kenneth Wolstenholme (BBC commentator from 1966 and 1970)

6. Is World Cup 98 better than FIFA 98?

For the authentic World Cup experience, yes. For variety of teams and long-term replayability, FIFA 98 had more content. Most reviewers said that if you already owned FIFA 98, the decision to buy World Cup 98 was a personal one based on how much you loved the tournament .

7. Can I play World Cup 98 on Windows 10?

Maybe. The game was designed for Windows 95. Some players have success with compatibility mode. Others use emulation. There is no official support .

8. Does the N64 version have the full commentary?

No. The N64 cartridge could not fit the full commentary due to space limitations. It has crowd sounds and sparse commentary from Lynam and Motson, but not the full experience of the PlayStation and PC versions .

9. How do I perform special moves?

The game has a variety of special moves including bicycle kicks, flick-passes, long volleys, and diving headers . The beauty of the game is that you can play competitively without any fancy moves. Just run, pass, and shoot.

10. Is there a World Cup 98 remake?

No. There is no official remake. The 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cup games were all separate titles. World Cup 98 is a standalone game from 1998.

11. Was the game released in Japan?

Yes. In Japan, the PlayStation version was published by Electronic Arts Square under the name “FIFA World Cup 98: France Sōshūhen” (FIFA ワールドカップ98 〜フランス総集編〜) on November 5, 1998 .

12. What are the game modes?

World Cup (actual or random groups)
World Cup Classics (unlockable)
Friendly matches
Penalty shootout
Practice

13. Can you play multiplayer?

Yes. Up to four players can play, though this varies by platform .

14. Why do the 1950, 1954, and 1966 finals look different?

The graphics switch to black and white for these matches as a tribute to how they were broadcast on television at the time . The 1930 and 1938 finals use sepia tone.

15. Is World Cup 98 worth playing in 2026?

For nostalgia, absolutely. For gameplay, modern football games like EA Sports FC have far more depth and realism. But if you want to experience a piece of gaming history and feel the magic of France 98, this game is still a joy to play.

Final Verdict: Should You Play World Cup 98 in 2026?

Let me be direct with you. World Cup 98 is not a modern football game. The graphics are dated. The AI is simple compared to today’s standards. The animations, while groundbreaking in 1998, look clunky now.

But here is the thing. It captures something that modern games sometimes miss. The pure, unfiltered excitement of the World Cup. The feeling of being a kid in 1998, picking Brazil or France, and trying to win the trophy.

The World Cup Classics mode is a history lesson. Playing the 1966 final with Kenneth Wolstenholme’s commentary is magical. The black and white graphics for the older matches show a level of care and attention to detail that is rare in sports games.

If you are a retro gaming enthusiast or a football history buff, World Cup 98 is absolutely worth your time.

If you just want to play a football game with modern graphics and online multiplayer, buy EA Sports FC or eFootball instead.

But for the rest of us? World Cup 98 will always be the game that made us believe we were actually there. In the Stade de France. Lifting the trophy.

Allez les Bleus.

Installation Guide