Bangladesh will field esports players on the global stage for the first time as the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) launches its official programme, ‘Road to Riyadh’. The initiative was announced by BFF president Tabith Awal at a press conference at the federation’s headquarters.
Also present were BFF executive member Imtiaz Hamid Sabuj, Stellar Digital COO Fayaz Taher, Level Seven founder and CEO Mohammad Aliur Rahman Sohan, and Bloodman founder and chair Md Shahriar Hasan Zisan.
Speakers highlighted the opportunities esports offers beyond casual gaming. Sohan noted that while gaming is a pastime, esports requires discipline and training and can provide a viable career path with significant earning potential. It also allows players to represent their country internationally.
Tabith Awal said football remains BFF’s core focus but esports will help promote the sport globally. Bangladesh’s plans will cover three titles – Rocket League, mobile football and console football.
“Esports is already strong in Asia,” Awal said. “We are ranked second in South Asia and aim to overtake China and India with our success rate. We believe Bangladesh has the talent to compete on the world stage.”
The Road to Riyadh trials will run in three phases: 5 September, 20 September and 5 October. Selected players will advance to the Asia-East and Oceania online regional qualifiers in mid-October.
Awal joked that although he usually discourages his children from using phones, esports creates new opportunities and should not be dismissed as a waste of time. Anyone over 16 can enter.
The event also placed Bangladesh’s move in a wider context. The FIFA eWorld Cup, launched in 2004, is now a prestigious global tournament. The 2024 edition in Riyadh featured the world’s top players and prize money worth millions of dollars; the 2025 edition will also be held there, with Bangladesh eligible to compete for the first time since esports was officially recognised as a sport.
BFF has announced the BFF eGames National Qualifiers – Road to Riyadh 2025 – as the national nomination stage for the FIFA eWorld Cup. Competition will be held both online and offline across three games: eFootball (console), eFootball (mobile) and Rocket League. Winners will represent Bangladesh internationally.
Registration dates:
– eFootball console: 24–29 August; matches 5 or 6 September
– eFootball mobile: 25–31 August; matches 20 September
– Rocket League: 25 August–12 September; matches 4 October
Quarter-finals to finals will be LAN-based; venue details will follow.
BFF hopes the initiative will allow new groups of players, including those unable to play football on the pitch, to represent Bangladesh. Road to Riyadh 2025 marks the first step in that journey.