The FIFA Interactive World Cup final is now underway with gusto. The impressive stage is awash with quality as the world’s best FIFA 09 players pit their skills against each other, all of them vying for the $20,000 grand prize.

The pool stages have concluded now, and we’ve spent a fair amount of time interviewing winners and losers for the weekly podcast - so keep your ears peeled for that.

That sounds really painful, doesn’t it. Keep them open. There, that’s better.

UK live qualifier champ Ryan Haywood has failed to qualify, and the poor chap was extremely upset about it. Reigning UK champ Chris Bullard, on the other hand, has eased through to the knockout stages, where he’ll be joined by countrymen Adam Winster and Danny Taylor, two other stalwarts of the UK FIFA scene.

New Zealander Dan Sykes has also battled his way past the pool stages, along with Aussie Matt Pommer. A shock exit occurred for Steven Coorey, the Aussie No. 1, who as you’ll hear on the podcast next week isn’t a happy bunny at all.

It’s bad news all round for the US contingent, too. US live qualifier champ Giuseppe Guastella has failed to progress, ending North America’s interest in the tournament. Shame, that.

There are a lot of stories emerging here, and a lot of names I haven’t mentioned, but the competition will now move to the knockout phase and the real drama will start to emerge as the FIFA Interactive World Cup crown moves within reach of the remaining competitors.