Retro Goal (Switch eShop)
Retro Goal is a distinctively light and fun take on football, coming at a budget price and having enough depth and charm to get players hooked. It has a stylish look and will raise a smile among enthusiasts; in fact, the only way it fails to match its brilliant predecessor — Retro Bowl — is in the gameplay department. The team-based complexity of football makes it hard to recreate that backyard sport feel, but it is still excellent and irreverent fun that feels at home on Switch.
Golazo! (Switch eShop)
Golazo! is definitely one for those with nostalgia for the classics of the '90s; this game is literally set in 1992. You choose from international teams and compete across a few modes, with the options keeping things relatively simple.
It's bonkers in its way, though, with unlockables including bizarre customisation options for players. It's very coin-op and arcade-style in terms of gameplay, is particularly fun in multiplayer and has a 'VHS' filter for that authentic '90s look. Not perfect but a good time, albeit the bizarre absence of Scotland among the playable teams irritated our reviewer, for obvious reasons...
Super Sidekicks (Neo Geo)
We're not sure that this original is considered the best in the series (Super Sidekicks 3 has its fans) but it's the only option at this time on the eShop; its two immediate sequels were actually released on Nintendo's store but are no longer available to purchase.
If Soccer Brawl was a Neo Geo title trying to introduce Soccer to NFL-obsessed gamers in the US, Super Sidekicks is just the classic game without all of those tweaks. It's a glorious throwback to the arcade era, even if the camera is arguably a bit too close for any strategy beyond 'hoof it up the pitch'. The presentation and audio are downright irresistible, though.
Soccer Story (Switch eShop)
Soccer Story delivers a colourful, charming take on the 'sports adventure', bursting at the seams with earnest effort and care from the development team. It's a fun experience, though it doesn't reach the heights of the genre's most famous release (the unrelated Golf Story). Bugs and hitches pop up occasionally too, and the actual soccer part is disappointingly lightweight, but if you're seeking some light entertainment with a football flavour, its cute visuals and charming world make it worth consideration.
Sociable Soccer 24 (Switch)
Sociable Soccer is a fun arcade-stye football game that plays like the complete opposite of the realism-focused EA Sports FC, and in doing so manages to be just as satisfying in an entirely different way despite its drawbacks. EA’s big-budget game may be the equivalent of eating at a fancy restaurant, but sometimes you just want a burger, and Sociable Soccer 24 is a delightful dose of fast food.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
EA Sports FC 24 (Switch)
Long-time readers will be aware of the love-hate (mainly hate) relationship we’ve had with the FIFA series over the course of the Switch’s life. And for a long time, FIFA 19 has occupied a spot on this list, even if it (and future games) were missing key modes from their counterparts PS4 / PS5 and Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S. You can't even get them on digital storefronts, now.
However, after years of lazy, half-hearted Legacy Editions, EA Sports has finally delivered a football game on the Switch that offers full feature parity with other consoles. A much-needed engine upgrade trades frame rate for fidelity, but with EA Sports FC 24 Switch owners finally have a port they can be proud of, rather than feeling like an afterthought. Every single feature is here, and even though there's an fps drop from 60 to 30, we at last have a triple-A football game to kick off with on Switch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best FIFA game on Nintendo Switch?
This is a tricky one to answer, as FIFA on Switch was labelled the "Legacy" version for a number of years. That means with each new FIFA game on Switch, we got a retread of the previous year's version with updates to players and kits only, and fewer modes and features than the full, non-Legacy versions available elsewhere.
To complicate matters, Electronic Arts, who made the FIFA games for decades, now no longer produces football games using the FIFA licence, having rebranded the series to 'EA Sports FC'. The latest edition of this new not-FIFA series is by far the most impressive on Switch, featuring near-total feature parity with other platforms for the first time.
TL;DR: If you're looking for the best FIFA game on Switch named 'FIFA', then FIFA 19 is our pick. However, in terms of the best FIFA-style game? Then we have to go with EA Sports FC 24.