Best PS1 Soccer Games: Tried, Tested and Rated in 2024

Being a soccer (U.S.) or football (U.K.) player growing up I was always drawn to soccer games all throughout my childhood.

It ranged from Emlyn Hughes Soccer on the ZX Spectrum to Goal on the SNES and an all time childhood powerhouse Italia 90 on the Atari ST.

Until the PS1 came out soccer games were, well either bland or rather cartoon in playing characters and manner.

Soccer games though came well and truly in to their own the moment the PS1 launched.

It was the first moment players could really experience the thrill of what was to come in the world of soccer games.

The PS1 led the way.

There aren’t a huge number of amazing soccer games on the PS1, we had to wait until the PS3 to get some of the very best, but graphics, gameplay and additional power meant soccer games turned from 2D slow simulations to 3D realistic crowd chanting, commentary fuelled soccer games.

After pulling the PS1 down from the attic, as well as a ton of games I had saved for a rainy day, I plugged straight into the TV, loaded some discs, and got going again.

Here is a list of the best PS1 soccer games, tried, tested, and rated.

FIFA Road to World Cup ‘98

There has been a long stead rivalry between FIFA games by EA Sports (although that contract after many years is coming to an end) and Pro Evolution Soccer, or PES for short.

Growing up you stood on one side of the fence.

Either FIFA or PES.

Both kept upping the game over their competitor, and both had their own unique styles and controls keeping fans forever loyal to the brand.

FIFA Road to World Cup 98 hit headlines when it launched as being one of the first true world cup games not only to hit the market but dominate it too.

Playing today can’t be compared to FIFA games of PS3, PS4 or PS5 of course but even now it has a good style of playability.

Gaining pace is a little tricky, and changing player is different to the new FIFA games but after only a few minutes I’d managed to hit the back of the net against Honduras, and it brought back all the nostalgia of yesteryear as my fist punched the air.

The game leads you a little as you play, rather than you leading it at times but the AI of the opposition really do give you a proper run for your money when playing.

The number of teams across all the group stages across the four continents is a great touch here.

The most challenging aspect was trying to navigate the initial loading screens to actually play a game, the controls were not as intuitive as they could have been (hint – the start button takes you closer to the game). Controls are good, albeit not as good as the latest versions, and the graphics are great for a console now over 25 years old.

Libero Grande International

A rather obscure title is Libero Grande International.

A soccer game that tried to compete with the likes of FIFA and ISS for the soccer PS1 gold crown.

It also attempted to try and create a truly 3D immersive version of the game that saw the camera angle pan around as your player turned, passed, or take a shot.

The player also took on a quite unique player aspect of the game where the 21 other players were played using AI but you as a player only controlled one player.

Having played soccer for a number of years as a child and adult, this is the first game that gave any sense of being one player on a field, rather than all players on a team as most soccer games tend to be.

For that daring approach alone the game should be commended.

It makes gameplay a little challenging and why most games stuck to the tried and tested FIFA, ISS and PES styles of gameplay.

On the other hand, this game does stand out for its innovation and goal to challenge the status quo of soccer games.

Graphics are also very good for the PS1 port, and I would be so bold as to say is better than FIFA Road to World Cup 98.

Suggested Reading: PS1 Racing games, tried and tested!

ISS Pro Evolution

ISS Pro Evolution became more lovingly known by fans as Pro Evolution Soccer, or PES for short, and took on FIFA every year gaining many millions of loyal fans.

The PS1 is where it all began.

The great thing about ISS Pro Evolution when loading the disc is just how easy it is to get started playing a game.

Admittedly, being a long life FIFA fan meant getting used to the controls of ISS Pro Evolution again took a little bit of practise. Nonetheless, I persevered.

The graphics of the game are very good, players and stadiums designed in great detail and perhaps trumps even FIFA.

The controls though are a little frustrating and disappointing at times. The control interface is identical to FIFA but at the same time more sluggish and the players do not necessarily go where you want them to.

It’s a shame as I really feel, although didn’t realise at the time back in the day, that is ISS Pro Evolution could have tidied up the controls better before launch, it may have been Pro Evolution taking the crown in the early days instead of FIFA.

Despite trying my best, I just couldn’t get on as well with ISS Pro Evolution as I could with the other games on the list, but for PES fans this is definitely one to experience if you haven’t yet.

FIFA 99

First off, I really love the intro video on FIFA for the PS1.

It does a fine job of showing, through video montage, just what goes in to the making of each of the EA Sport games showing a wide spectrum of sports along with videos of player recreations used by EA Sports within its gameplay.

It really got me excited all over again to try some of the others out.

That said, it’s time to put on the boot and take FIFA 99 out for a spin again.

The Quick Start feature takes the player straight in to an exhibition match between Manchester United and Arsenal.

Seeing some of the legendary players of the 90s in the starting line up sure took me back.

One thing is for sure, the referee is very unforgiving on FIFA 99. It didn’t take long to be down to 10 men – maybe I deserved it.

The graphics of FIFA 99 are very good, but the gameplay is a little sluggish at times, even more so than FIFA Road to World Cup 98.

Controls are solid and much better playability than ISS Pro Evolution, although passing is perhaps not as good as the aforementioned competitor.

After a respectable 1-1 draw with Arsenal I think it may be time to hang up the boots.

It was good to come back and put FIFA 99 through its paces once more but perhaps will focus more attention on the now considered retro soccer games of the PS3 and PSP.