FIFA scores! EA's FIFA Football 2003 is now Europe's number one footie title.

EA claim that their surprisingly good footie sim FIFA 2003 is outselling all competitors. Official press release follows:

CHERTSEY, England, Dec. 18, 2002 - Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS), the leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced that its FIFA Football 2003 series has extended its lead as the world champion of video game football. FIFA Football 2003 has sold a market-leading 2.5 million units across all platforms in Europe, outselling the nearest competitor by a 2:1 ratio. European retail data also shows that FIFA Football 2003 has extended its lead on the PlayStation�2 platform with a consistently higher chart position than its direct rivals.

"Europeans love FIFA Football 2003 because it is a game designed by football players for football fans," said EA European General Manager Gerhard Florin. "Our development studio made major improvements and innovations to the game this year, and football fans are showing their approval. We're very happy with the results we're seeing in stores across Europe."

Retail data collected from several sources including ELSPA Chart-Track and Media Control and GFK France show the following momentum for FIFA Football 2003:

In the United Kingdom, FIFA Football 2003 has achieved the highest chart position of all the PlayStation 2 football games for every week since its first full week of sales, commencing October 28, 2002. It also leads on every major platform, outselling the nearest competitor by an average of more than 2:1 in the October-November 2002 period.

In Germany, FIFA Football 2003 is the top selling football title across all platforms, outselling the competition 6:1. It has been the top ranking PlayStation 2 football game since launching.

In France, FIFA Football 2003 has been the best selling sports game for five consecutive weeks and No. 1 on the PlayStation 2 for the last two weeks.

FIFA Football 2003, available on the PlayStation console and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems, Nintendo GameCubeTM and Game Boy AdvanceTM, XboxTM video game system from Microsoft, and the PC, has received accolades from critics, retailers and consumers as the best interactive football offering to date.