Konami, the developer behind the Winning Eleven series, took a different approach. They didn’t have the licenses. They had "London FC" instead of Arsenal, "Man Red" instead of Manchester United, and players with slightly misspelt names (remember "R. Baggio" becoming "R. Baggi"?). But what they lacked in official paperwork, they made up for on the pitch.
The game has no licensed music—just a glorious, synth-heavy menu theme and the roar of a generic crowd. When you score a 30-yard screamer with Pavel Nedvěd (or "Nedved" as the fake name read), the simple "GOOOAL" shout is more satisfying than any Martin Tyler commentary.
You can play EA Sports FC 26 with hypermotion technology. You can play eFootball with crossplay. Yet, thousands of players boot up their monthly. Why?