World Cup 98
World Cup 98 — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is World Cup 98 on?
- World Cup 98 was released on Nintendo 64, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation, Game Boy.
- When did World Cup 98 release?
- World Cup 98 was first released on March 31, 1998.
About World Cup 98
The main feature of the game is the World Cup tournament itself, where the player may use either the actual groups used in the finals, or groups composed of a random selection of the included teams. Each match takes place in a recreation of the venue it was played in the actual tournament. As in the real tournament, group games do not go to extra time or a penalty shootout but knockout matches do.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Nintendo 64, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation, Game Boy
- Developer
- EA Canada
- Publisher
- EA Sports
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer, Split screen
- 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 64 | 1998 | $18 | $46 | $181 | 10 reviews | Low |
Release timeline
- PlayStationMar 31, 1998
- PC (Microsoft Windows)Apr 30, 1998
- Nintendo 64May 18, 1998
- Game BoyJun 1998
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.
Collector value & authenticity
Nintendo 64 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-22
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAL release | $5 | $20 | $109 |
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a week
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about 2 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-22.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $6.72 in Jan 2007, $12.99 five years ago, and $17.96 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2007 | $6.72 | — |
| Jan 2008 | $3.54 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $3.85 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $4.21 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $6.15 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $3.45 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $2.95 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $4.99 | $10.95 |
| Jan 2015 | $6.50 | $5.00 |
| Jan 2016 | $5.95 | $14.99 |
| Jan 2017 | $6.08 | $11.09 |
| Jan 2018 | $10.69 | $22 |
| Jan 2019 | $8.40 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2020 | $8.88 | $18.47 |
| Jan 2021 | $10.00 | $28 |
| Jan 2022 | $13.39 | $36 |
| Jan 2023 | $13.69 | $37 |
| Jan 2024 | $16.31 | $43 |
| Jan 2025 | $13.27 | $36 |
| Jan 2026 | $16.99 | $50 |
| Oct 2026 | $17.96 | $46 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Cartridge serial | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 19 May 1998 | NUS-N8WE-USA | NUS-01A-02 |
| Europe / PAL | 22 May 1998 | NUS-N8WP-UKV | NUS-01A-02 |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1998
- Authenticity
- Low
A soccer game some period reviewers found better-playing than FIFA, for people who wanted the World Cup license, but not an essential second purchase.
World Cup 98 is EA Sports' official World Cup game, the N64 version developed by Software Creations and released in North America and the PAL regions in May 1998. Electronic Gaming Monthly's reviewers said the improvements over FIFA 98: Road to World Cup were significant but not enough to justify buying it for players who already owned that game, nor to make it as good as International Superstar Soccer 64.
GamePro's Air Hendrix agreed that it plays better than FIFA but offers less variety, and N64 Magazine's James Ashton called it a highly desirable license but a flawed game.
What the press said at the time
| GameRankings (aggregate) | 85% | |
| CNET Gamecenter | 8/10 | |
| Computer and Video Games | 4/5 | |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7.75/10 | |
| Game Informer | 8/10 | |
| GameFan | 89% | |
| GameRevolution | B+ | |
| GameSpot | 8.6/10 | |
| IGN | 8.8/10 | |
| Nintendo Power | 8.1/10 |
“Basically it comes down to this. World Cup ‘98: highly desirable licence, flawed game, £60.”
“World Cup ' 98 is an accomplished piece of programming. The graphics, the presentation and most importantly, the gameplay, are all here to give the game an overall feeling of World Cup atmosphere”
Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Nintendo 64 version.
Also on other platforms
Game Boy · PlayStation · Windows
| Game Boy | Tiertex Design Studios |
- PlayStation. In Japan the PlayStation version was ported and published by Electronic Arts Square, released on 5 November 1998.
- Game Boy. The Game Boy version is a separate game from the console versions, developed by Tiertex Design Studios and published by THQ.
How the other versions reviewed
| Windows | GameRankings | 76% |
| PlayStation | GameRankings | 80% |
| Windows | CNET Gamecenter | 8/10 |
| PlayStation | CNET Gamecenter | 8/10 |
| Windows | Computer Gaming World | 4.5/5 |
| Game Boy | Computer and Video Games | 1/5 |
| Windows | Computer and Video Games | 4/5 |
| PlayStation | Computer and Video Games | 4/5 |
| PlayStation | Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7.375/10 |
| PlayStation | Famitsu | 30/40 |
| Game Boy | Game Informer | 3/10 |
| PlayStation | GameFan | 90% |
| PlayStation | GameRevolution | A− |
| Windows | GameSpot | 8.8/10 |
| PlayStation | GameSpot | 8.6/10 |
| PlayStation | IGN | 8/10 |
| PlayStation | Next Generation | 4/5 |
| PlayStation | Official PlayStation Magazine | 3/5 |
These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.
Before you buy
The US cartridge sits close to the middle of the library on price and the fake risk is low. PAL copies cost far less than US ones, loose and complete. A complete copy costs more than twice the loose price.
World Cup 98 screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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