Leeds United stream FIFA 20 to decide match delayed by Coronavirus

English football club Leeds United have let EA Sports’ FIFA 20 decide the fate of their suspended match versus Cardiff City, as European sport remains in chaos because of Coronavirus. 

While the gaming community has seen a number of events and tournaments postponed as a result of Coronavirus, some real life sporting sides are turning to FIFA to decide their fate. 

Late on March 12 – despite a UK Government announcement that sport could continue as normal for the time being – all levels of professional football in the UK were immediately suspended following the news that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had tested positive for Coronavirus. 

Premier League/EFL

Both the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) were immediately suspended on March 12.

At the time of writing, it is unclear how and when the season will finish. Leeds United, however, have taken to live streaming FIFA 20 in order to play out their fixture. 

The English side, who sit top of the second-tier of English football with nine matches to play, were scheduled to travel to Cardiff City on March 15. 

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While no re-arranged date has been decided, the club joked that they would let FIFA 20 decide its outcome – streaming the match via Twitter. 

“Anyone else bored?” the club’s official account tweeted. “How about we let FIFA 20 decide today’s result?” Attached was a livestream of the game taking place on FIFA, with the AI simulation deciding who would emerge victorious.

Leeds even live-tweeted the game as they do an actual match, posting highlights to Twitter for their 475,000 followers to enjoy. 

Among other highlights, a Jack Harrison free-kick stood out, curling into the top corner from the edge of the box. That made the score 1-3, which is how FIFA ultimately decided the game would finish. 

The Yorkshire side even proceeded to tweet out an official graphic of the game, as well as asking fans for their opinions on who was man of the match. 

The simulation appeared to go down well with Leeds fans, many of whom are eagerly awaiting news on how the season will conclude amid the ongoing uncertainty. 

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While we won’t see the victory added to this season’s tally, it provided a lot of light relief for football enthusiasts who are waiting for their beautiful game to return.