More than one million players have signed up to take part in the FIFA Interactive World Cup, breaking a new record for the popular EA Sports event.
This year's prestigious tournament has already attracted around 130,000 more players than last year to push it past the million mark for the first time ever, cementing its position as Guinness World Records' largest online gaming tournament in the world.
Available to PlayStation 3 owners with copies of FIFA 12, the event allows fans to compete with other FIFA pros from around the world for a prize of $20,000 (?2,600), as well as an invitation to the FIFA Ballon d'Or event.
A recent survey conducted by EA Sports revealed that 46 per cent of players believed that participating in the FIFA Interactive World Cup improved their understanding of football tactics.
The popularity of the tournament also underlines the continued appeal of FIFA 12, which became the fastest-selling sports title ever on its launch last October.
Featuring a new physics system, refined controls and more modes than ever, the game won huge critical acclaim and remains one of the UK's top-selling titles.