Premier League Goes Online: FIFA 20 EPL Explained
The Premier League did not officially go online in FIFA 20, but EA Sports created a special in-game event called “Premier League Goes Online” in April 2020, adding a limited-time mode with boosted EPL player cards. You enter the mode from the FUT (FIFA Ultimate Team) menu, build a squad using those special cards, and play matches to earn rewards. This article explains what the event was, how it worked, what you could get, and why it remains a popular search topic years later.
Background: Why the Event Existed
In March 2020, the real Premier League season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With no live football, EA Sports and the Premier League partnered to create a virtual competition called the “Premier League Invitational,” where real players competed in FIFA 20 matches broadcast on TV and online. The “Premier League Goes Online” event in FUT was a separate but related promotion, designed to keep fans engaged during the shutdown. It ran for a limited time in April 2020 and was not a permanent game mode.
How the Mode Worked
In FIFA 20 Ultimate Team, the event appeared as a dedicated squad-building challenge (SBC) and a special match mode. The core feature was a set of “Player Moments” cards — versions of real Premier League players with boosted stats based on memorable performances. For example, a player who scored a hat-trick in a famous match received a card with higher shooting and pace ratings. You could earn these cards by completing objectives, such as scoring a certain number of goals with English players or winning matches in the specific mode.
The mode itself was a standard FUT match, but with a rule: your starting squad had to contain at least a certain number of Premier League players. This forced you to build a team around the special cards. Rewards included packs, coins, and the special player cards themselves. The event lasted about two weeks, after which the mode was removed, though the cards you earned remained in your club.
How to Get the Special Cards
There were two main ways to obtain the “Premier League Goes Online” cards:
- Objectives: Complete specific in-game challenges, like winning five matches with a full EPL squad or scoring from outside the box with an English midfielder.
- Squad Building Challenges (SBCs): Submit a squad of players matching certain criteria (e.g., 11 Premier League players with a minimum team rating) to receive a guaranteed special card.
Each card had a limited availability window, so you had to log in and complete the tasks before the event ended. Unlike regular informs (Team of the Week), these cards were not in packs after the event, making them rarer.
Common Problems and Misconceptions
A frequent misconception is that “Premier League Goes Online” was a separate game mode like Career Mode or Pro Clubs. It was not — it was a themed event inside FIFA Ultimate Team. Another issue players faced was the squad requirements: many tried to use loan players or non-EPL cards and got rejected. The game specifically checked the “league” of each player card, not the team they played for in real life. For example, a player who moved to a non-English club would not count, even if he was English.
Another problem was the difficulty of the objectives. Some required playing on “World Class” difficulty or above, which casual players found challenging. A common workaround was to play Squad Battles on a lower difficulty, but many objectives explicitly required online matches, so you had to play against other players.
Comparison to Other FUT Events
EA Sports runs similar limited-time events every year, such as “Team of the Year” (TOTY) and “FUT Birthday.” The “Premier League Goes Online” was unique because it was league-specific and tied to a real-world pause in football. Compared to TOTY, the cards were less overpowered but more attainable via objectives rather than packs. Compared to regular Team of the Week, the boosts were larger and the card art was different (often with a dark blue or neon design). The event also set a precedent: later FIFA titles introduced similar league-specific events, like “Premier League POTM” (Player of the Month) which became a monthly SBC.
Cost and Rewards
The event was free to participate in — you only needed a copy of FIFA 20 and an internet connection. However, to complete SBCs, you often had to spend in-game coins or FIFA Points (premium currency) to buy players from the transfer market. The cost of completing an SBC varied depending on the market prices at the time, but a typical mid-tier SBC cost around 20,000 to 50,000 coins. The rewards were usually worth more if you got a high-rated card, but there was an element of luck in pack rewards. No real money was required, but EA’s microtransaction system meant players could spend money to speed up the process.
Safety and Fair Play
When playing online, always follow EA’s terms of service. Do not use third-party tools, coin-selling services, or account sharing — these can result in a ban. The event itself was safe, but beware of phishing scams offering “free” special cards; EA never asks for your password. Also, note that the event is no longer active, so any website claiming to offer “Premier League Goes Online” cards for FIFA 20 today is likely a scam. The game’s servers for FIFA 20 were eventually shut down in 2023, so online modes no longer work at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Premier League Goes Online mode still available in FIFA 20?
No. The event ran for about two weeks in April 2020 and was removed. Furthermore, FIFA 20 online servers were shut down in 2023, so no online modes work anymore, including FUT.
Can I still get the special cards?
No. The cards are no longer obtainable through any legitimate means. If you already had them in your club, they remain there, but you cannot acquire new ones.
What was the best card in the event?
Many players considered the Player Moments cards for players like Aubameyang or Mahrez to be among the best, but the actual ratings depended on the specific performance chosen. EA never published an official “best” card.
Did the event affect the real Premier League?
No. It was a virtual promotion. The real league resumed in June 2020 behind closed doors, but the FIFA event had no bearing on actual results.
Do I need PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold to play?
Yes, on consoles, online multiplayer in FIFA 20 requires an active subscription to PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold. On PC, no extra subscription is needed beyond the game itself.
Why is it called “Goes Online”?
The name was a play on the fact that the real Premier League was temporarily “going online” via virtual matches, and the FUT event mirrored that by focusing on online play and digital content.
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