Following intense battles on the virtual football pitches during the qualifying stages of the third annual FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC), FIFA, Xbox, and Electronic Arts congratulate the 128 finalists who have now secured their place in the FIWC Grand Final.

The 128 finalists will get an all-expenses-paid trip to compete at the FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final at the Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam, Holland, on Saturday 09 December (16:00 CET). The winner of the Grand Final will also be invited to attend the FIFA World Player Gala 2006 at the Opera House in Zurich on Monday 18 December.

A truly global event, the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2006 saw 38 qualifying events take place around the world, while the Xbox Live element of the tournament gave gamers from 25 countries the opportunity to compete for their place in the final. Overall, close to 30,000 matches were played during the online and offline qualifiers with contestants scoring a total of 65,000 goals.

This year will see the biggest and most exciting Grand Final in the history of the FIFA Interactive World Cup, as the 68 winners and finalists from the offline qualifiers and 44 winners and runners up from the Xbox Live tournament will meet the 16 finalists from the two previous FIWC tournaments.

All 128 virtual football virtuosos will compete at the Grand Final using EA Sports FIFA 07 on the Xbox 360 system, enjoying the most authentic virtual football experience to date.

Photos from the qualification events are already available at www.FIFA.com. Photos from the final will also be posted to the site.

For complete rules related to the FIFA Interactive World Cup, click HERE.