It's no secret that football is big in Europe. This notion was backed up today by EA's early sales figures for FIFA 10. The publisher has proclaimed its latest footie sim the fastest selling sports game ever in Europe, selling 1.7 million copies in its first week on shelves.

The game jumped straight into number one spot on the UK all formats chart, though with Pro Evo 10 on the horizon, it remains to be seen how long it can hold the spot. Last year, Pro Evo managed to topple FIFA straight off the number one spot when it debuted several weeks after EA's game.

There might be more good news for EA on the way as Janney Montgomery Scott analyst Shawn Milne told investors that FIFA 10 sales could rise as much as 30 percent year-over-year in Europe. Milne also believes FIFA is now the most profitable EA Sports title, thanks to its global audience and lower license costs compared to Madden.

FIFA 10 features a number of improvements over previous versions, including a new 360-degree dribbling system, a custom set piece creator, and more realistic player movements and behaviours. The title received its share of critical acclaim, earning an Editor's Choice Award from GameSpot.