The limited time Lionel Messi card drove strong fan engagement, while creator led content and challenges sparked widespread participation across India ahead of more eFootball™ action tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026 season
WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM – March 31, 2026 – Konami Digital Entertainment, B.V. (KONAMI) today announced the successful conclusion of its India campaign for eFootball™. Featuring cricketers Rinku Singh and Varun Chakravarthy, actors Naslen Gafoor and Chandu Salim Kumar, alongside footballers Sahal Abdul Samad and Shubhasish Bose, the campaign generated strong excitement across gaming, football, and creator communities through social content, fan participation, and in game engagement. Building on the momentum of the original campaign launch, which introduced a limited time Lionel Messi card and brought together fan communities, lifestyle creators, football creators, and competitive eFootball™ influencers, the campaign helped expand eFootball™’s visibility and deepen engagement with fans across India.
The campaign also saw thousands of entries submitted as part of the social media engagement challenge, reflecting strong community enthusiasm and active creator fandom.
Looking ahead, KONAMI will build on this momentum with more eFootball™ experiences for fans in India as the FIFA World Cup 2026 draws closer. With global attention on the competition set to rise, India will remain an important market for deepening community engagement and bringing fans closer to the action around World Cup season.
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About “eFootball™”
“eFootball™” was the rebranding of KONAMI’s popular gaming series “PES”. The change marked a great leap forward as the branding changed alongside the addition of a new football game engine, advancements in gameplay, and the remodelling of the title as ‘free-to-play’ across all compatible devices.
“eFootball™” is an ever-evolving platform with over 950 million downloads worldwide to date.
“eFootball”, “e-Football” and “eFootball logo” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. in Japan and other countries or regions.
About Konami Group
Konami Group was established in 1973, starting as an amusement machine manufacturer for arcades. Over the years, the company has grown to include different business units across various markets. Currently, KONAMI GROUP CORPORATION includes the Digital Entertainment, Amusement, Gaming & Systems, and Sports Businesses. The company went public on the Osaka Securities Exchange in 1984, the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1988, and the London Stock Exchange in 1999. For more information, visit: www.konami.com/en.
About Konami Digital Entertainment
Konami Digital Entertainment, which is the core company of Konami Group, develops entertaining content for mobile, console and card games. The company is known for global franchises such as eFootball™, Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Contra, as well as the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game series. www.konami.com/games/corporate/en/
