FIFA: Road to World Cup 98
FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 on?
- FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 was released on Nintendo 64, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Boy, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
- When did FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 release?
- FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 was first released on November 30, 1997.
About FIFA: Road to World Cup 98
The late-1997 edition of FIFA was heavily tied in with the qualifying procedure for the 1998 World Cup. In the Road to the World Cup mode, you take a team from first qualification through to the main tournament, using the varying systems in different parts of the world. The game features 16 distinct outdoor stadia. The League play features 189 clubs and 11 leagues. Each team has specific crowd chants incorporated into the ambient sound. The action is faster than in previous versions, and AI has been expanded. Players have distinct facial feature and hair styles. Each match is introduced by Des Lynam and commentated on by John Motson and former Scotland international Andy Gray.
Summary via IGDB.
FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 on Wikipedia
FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 is a 1997 football video game developed by EA Canada and released by EA Sports. It is the fifth game in the FIFA series and the second to be in 3D on the fifth generation of video game consoles. A number of different players were featured on the cover, including David Beckham in the UK, Roy Lassiter in the United States, Mexico and Brazil, David Ginola in France, Raúl in Spain and Portugal, Paolo Maldini in Italy, and Andreas Möller in Germany. Critics responded positively to FIFA 98, hailing it as a strong return to form for the series. FIFA 98 was the last FIFA game released for the Sega Mega Drive, Sega Saturn, and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Platforms
- Nintendo 64, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Boy, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- Developer
- EA Canada
- Publisher
- Electronic Arts
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Non-fiction
- Series
- FIFA
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo 64Details ↓ | 1997 | $17 | $54 | $118 | 4 out of 5 stars | Low |
| Sega GenesisDetails ↓ | 1997 | $15 | $41 | — | — | Low |
The cheapest way to own it loose is the Sega Genesis version ($15).
Release timeline
- PC (Microsoft Windows)Nov 30, 1997
- PlayStationDec 1, 1997
- Game BoyDec 1997
- Nintendo 64Dec 20, 1997
- Sega Mega Drive/Genesis1997
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System1997
- Sega SaturnDec 31, 1997
First release on each platform, from IGDB’s records of this game’s ports and editions. Remakes are separate games with their own pages, so they are not listed here.
We haven’t priced or authenticated the versions without a section on this page yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
Nintendo 64 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-22
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAL release | $7 | $27 | — |
| Japanese release | $8 | $25 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about once a year
Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-22.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $5.99 in Jan 2008, $13.55 five years ago, and $16.58 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $5.99 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $5.44 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $5.95 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $3.47 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $3.25 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $3.12 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $5.00 | $5.55 |
| Jan 2015 | $5.51 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2016 | $6.50 | $24 |
| Jan 2017 | $8.20 | $15.00 |
| Jan 2018 | $8.58 | $14.63 |
| Jan 2019 | $6.18 | $25 |
| Jan 2020 | $8.66 | $20 |
| Jan 2021 | $10.24 | $25 |
| Jan 2022 | $13.53 | $26 |
| Jan 2023 | $12.40 | $65 |
| Jan 2024 | $13.99 | $41 |
| Jan 2025 | $14.40 | $47 |
| Jan 2026 | $17.24 | $52 |
| Oct 2026 | $16.58 | $54 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Cartridge serial | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 22 December 1997 | NUS-N8IE-USA | NUS-01A-02 |
| Europe / PAL | 20 December 1997 | NUS-N8IP-UKV | NUS-01A-02 |
| Japan | 12 April 1998 | NUS-N8IJ-JPN | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1997
- Authenticity
- Low
The Nintendo 64 version
An EA soccer game that IGN felt, on the N64, used the console's strengths instead of copying the PC and PlayStation versions.
This is the Nintendo 64 version of FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, the fifth FIFA game, developed by EA Canada with Extended Play Productions. It reached North America in December 1997, PAL regions a couple of days earlier, and Japan in April 1998.
IGN said in its review of this version that EA had learned its lesson and used some of the N64's unique features instead of treating it like a PC or PlayStation. Electronic Gaming Monthly's Kelly Rickards said the PlayStation version lacked the magic the N64 version provided.
What the press said at the time
| Next Generation Issue 38 | February 1998 | 4 out of 5 stars |
“FIFA 98 is a huge improvement over last year's version. FIFA 64's engine has been totally overhauled for the better.”
“Unfortunately, FIFA RTTWC 64 doesn't quite live up to the standards set by Konami's killer app. However, all of the gameplay and graphic improvements make it a great game — arguably the second best soccer game on any system.”
“While this FIFA offering is better than last year's (with better graphics and through passing), | still don't think it's as good as ISS 64 (except for the fact that it has real teams).”
“you'll definitely dig the improvements made to this year’s game, which make it the best on the Nintendo 64.”
Next Generation rated games from one star ("Bad: crucially flawed in design or application") to five ("Revolutionary"); three stars meant "Good: a solid and competitive example of an established game style."
How the Nintendo 64 version differs
The N64 version has the corrected offside rule, which only awards a free kick when the ball is passed roughly to the offside player.
Next Generation said the N64 game lacks the fluidity of ISS 64 but its real players and options make it worth enjoying.
Also on other platforms
Windows · PlayStation · Game Boy · Sega Saturn · Genesis · Super NES
- Sega Saturn. FIFA 98 was the last FIFA game released for the Saturn.
- Super NES. FIFA 98 was the last FIFA game released for the Super NES.
Before you buy
The North American cartridge costs more than both the PAL and Japanese releases, which sell for markedly less, loose and complete. The cart is in the cheaper half of the library and fake risk is low. A complete copy costs several times the loose price, and sealed copies cost more again.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
What it needs to play
- Some modesSave battery (inside the cartridge) — saves to memory kept alive by a battery inside the cartridge; if that battery has died, saves are lost (MAME cartridge records).
How often it sells
- Loose: about 5 times a year
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: rarely — fewer than one recorded sale a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $8.77 in Oct 2018, $14.29 five years ago, and $14.82 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2019 | $8.77 | $14.33 |
| Jan 2020 | $10.35 | $16.37 |
| Jan 2021 | $7.63 | $15.87 |
| Jan 2022 | $15.39 | $22 |
| Jan 2023 | $25 | $25 |
| Jan 2024 | $17.99 | $23 |
| Jan 2025 | $14.57 | $26 |
| Jan 2026 | $13.64 | $31 |
| Oct 2026 | $14.82 | $40 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date |
|---|---|
| Europe / PAL | 1997 |
- Region
- EU
- Released
- 1997
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega Genesis version
A late-era Mega Drive FIFA for completists of EA's 16-bit soccer line, and an ordinary-priced European cart.
This is the Mega Drive version of FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, which came out in Europe in 1997 with XYZ Productions credited as developer and EA Sports as publisher. It is a 16-bit sibling of the 3D versions made for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation and Saturn, so judge it against other Mega Drive soccer games rather than those.
It was the last FIFA game released for the Mega Drive, which gives it some interest for people who collect the series in order.
Also on other platforms
Nintendo 64 · Windows · PlayStation · Game Boy · Sega Saturn · Super NES
Before you buy
Among European-only carts it sits about at the middle, and a complete copy usually costs well above a loose one. The cartridge keeps some data in battery-backed memory, so test that a save holds; a dead battery loses saves, and a replaced battery is a normal repair and not a sign of a fake. Sega Retro lists it as working with EA's 4 Way Play adapter. Remember that EA's 4 Way Play and Sega's first Team Player do not run each other's games.
FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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