FIWC Grand Final 2012 is heading to Dubai

The FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) is heading east to Dubai's Jumeirah Beach Hotel, providing a luxurious setting for the eighth FIWC Grand Final, taking place from 21-23 May 2012, following Barcelona in 2010 and Los Angeles in 2011.

FIFA and Presenting Partners EA SPORTS™ and PlayStation® will be flying the 24 finalists of the world's largest online gaming tournament to Dubai for a once in a lifetime experience and the chance to be crowned FIWC champion.

Former FIFA World Cup™ champion Christian Karembeu has today been unveiled as an official FIWC ambassador and will be keeping a close eye on proceedings throughout the action-packed three day tournament. Karembeu, part of the Task Force Football 2014 and a member of FIFA's Technical Study Group who assess the performance of players at FIFA events, will be hoping to test himself against some of the world's best EA SPORTS FIFA 12 players to see how his skills match up off the pitch as well as on it.

Whilst the finalists are in Dubai they will get to sample all the city has to offer from indoor skiing to desert tours as well as visiting the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. Over 1,000,000 gamers from around the globe have competed with EA SPORTS FIFA 12 online via PlayStation®3 and at live qualification events in an effort to claim a seat at the Grand Final.

Karembeu commented, "I am delighted to be a part of this year's FIWC Grand Final. The tournament gives football fans all over the globe the opportunity to become a real FIFA World Champion. The fact that over 1,000,000 players have taken part in this year's tournament is astonishing and just goes to show how popular the FIWC is with football fans."

Ten gamers from seven different countries have already qualified for the Dubai Grand Final meaning that there are still 14 places up for grabs. Contestants can participate in this year's FIWC through the ongoing online tournament played on PlayStation®Network, by registering 'in-game' in FIFA 12 on their PS3™. For more information on the FIWC, go to www.fifa.com/fiwc. This year's champion will walk away with USD 20,000 and an invitation to attend the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2012.

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