"The Times" gave the PS2 version a score of four stars out of five and stated that "The classic moment section, which features 125 well-known situations, is one of several nice touches in this game.""The A.V. Club" gave the game a B and said that it "supplies just enough vicarious excitement to bridge the gap between now and early June." "Detroit Free Press" gave the X360 version three stars out of four and stated: "Thankfully for the folks at Electronic Arts, the only soccer competition available on the Xbox 360 is the previous FIFA game, and this World Cup edition is a step up from that incarnation, albeit a small one." However, "The Sydney Morning Herald" gave the game three-and-a-half stars out of five and called it "a fun football simulation for newcomers and the best FIFA of recent years. Even so, competitor "Pro Evolution" still has the virtual World Cup firmly in its grasp."