Ranking the 10 Worst Football Video Games of All Time

Recent consoles have given birth to the some of most creative and aesthetically brilliant video games seen in any generation but in amongst the sequential console wars and Grand Theft Hyperbole, the mid-00s was also an era when the scattershot approach to releasing offbeat football franchises came to a screeching halt.

At the height of the original Playstation’s popularity, there were over 30 different series dedicated to the beautiful game for players to choose from, which is a far cry from the two horse race that’s been FIFA Vs. PES since 2008, where an indomitable force laughs at a crumbling empire (...quite like the Manchester Derby).

Unfortunately, with such great choice came huge chasms in gaming quality. Take a trip down memory lane as we rank the worst football video games ever released...nostalgia has never been so bad.

Release date: September 22nd 1998

If this game was a player: Alan Shearer. Always did the job (even if it wasn’t pretty).

The tongue-twistingly titled International Superstar Soccer Pro 98 was probably the strongest football sim of its time but, true to form for this franchise, it’s earned a place in the gaming Hall of Shame for a horrendous licensing issue that meant gamers found themselves with an England squad made up of almost-famous names like Southgote, Backham and Sheallar. Konami’s football releases never regained total credibility.

Release date: December 4th 1998

If this game was a player: Carl Cort. Heralded as one-to-watch but ultimately forgettable.

Actua Soccer is a franchise that lingers in the memory of football fans and after two previous editions that saw moderate success, the third installment proved to be the nail in Actua Soccer’s coffin. This was a vanilla flavoured football game devoid of character, flair and emotion…so Alan Shearer was a perfect fit for the cover. With the added bonus of Martin O’Neill on commentary, what could possibly go wrong right?

Release date: November 8th 2000
If this game was a player: Peter Crouch. Kind of works, just a bit clumsy.

FIFA may be the undisputed king of football sims in 2014 but those with a long memory should remember that it hasn’t always been this good. For the launch of the PS2, EA Sports dropped FIFA 2001 and those who were confident enough to spend £400 for a next gen FIFA experience were left with red faces as the game’s mind-numbingly stupid AI came to light. Sunday league stuff.

Release date: April 17th 1998

If this game was a player: Michael Ricketts. Someone who never looked quite right in an England shirt.

Three Lions was the official video game of the England football team and it’s the precise moment when we learned not to trust the FA with anything that requires forward thinking. The game was launched to cash in on the hype surrounding the 1998 World Cup and, admirably, attempted to produce a finished product that contained style and substance. Sadly, the ‘revolutionary’ targeting system made scoring almost impossible and while licensed kits were a step forward, player likenesses left a lot to be desired…yeah, that really is Paul Scholes on the top left.

Release date: January 2nd 2002

If this game was a player: Frank Lampard. Just shoot from anywhere and hope for the best.

YouTube comments are never the greatest barometer of truth but in this instance, users calling this the “worst football game ever made” might just be right. The well-polished UEFA Champions League games turned out to be nothing more than 'FIFA Lite', with a limited roster of clubs and a style of gameplay that was even more fanciful than what originated from EA Sports. This was the only football game where shooting on sight was genuinely the best policy. Cristiano Ronaldo would have a field day.

Release date: May 17th 2002

If this game was a player: Joey Barton. A loudmouth laughing stock.

While the premise of Red Card appealed to vengeful kids who’d been caught on the wrong end of a studs-up challenge, the execution of ‘football without rules’ equated to a game without much satisfaction. Fouls, physical aggression and diving were actively encouraged (Mail Online would be trembling with rage), while unlockable squads included a SWAT team and 11 Dolphins wearing a football strip. This was a football game made in a pre-Beckham USA. They just didn’t get it.

Release date: September 28th 2007

If this game was a player: Massimo Taibi. Lacks essential hand-eye coordination.

The Nintendo Wii was the most successful console of a generation but the ill-fated FIFA 08 ultimately fell flat on Nintendo’s electronic sandbox. The addition of child-focused mini-games saw FIFA temporarily turn into Sensible Soccer as EA Sports failed to get to grips with Nintendo’s much-lauded ‘nunchuk’ style control system. Incredibly, Mario Strikers Charged ended up providing Wii gamers with their authentic football fix.

Release date: September 15th 2000

If this game was a player: David O’Leary. Who else?

There’s a reason football management games are generally left to PCs, where understated visuals take a backseat to powerful data processing. On consoles, they rarely work. On a Game Boy Colour? Disastrous. A game without much functionality is further undermined by a glitch that rewards managers to the tune of £70m if they go bankrupt. David O’Leary always liked a blank cheque book. Just ask Seth Johnson.

Release date: March 24th 2006

If this game was a player: Graeme Souness. Great on the pitch, nightmare in the dugout.

It’s an indictment of just how bad PESM is that it ranks worse than David O’Leary’s take on Championship Manager. While Pro Evo was far and away the best football franchise at the time, this disastrous move into management simulation was nothing more than an automated series of CPU matches interspersed with boardroom segments where you’re tasked with putting a smile on the ever punchable face of Frank Lampard. The Master League feature on the real PES was a far more satisfying management game (without actually being one). To descend even further into calamity, only Konami could make a game where the Arsenal manager is called Arsene Wemdew.

Release date: 25th September 2000

If this game was a player: Anyone but Chris Kamara.

We should have been surprised by Chris Kamara’s Street Soccer but then we took a look at what else he’s done lately: changed his name by deed poll to Chris Cabanga, released England’s official song for Euro 2012 and came out of retirement to play for Welshpool Town of the Mid Wales Football League. This release is probably the PS1’s most deeply buried secret and needs to be played to be believed. Fancy re-releasing a version for the app store, Kammy? It really can’t get any worse…