With the e-sports fever sweeping the world right now, we were curious to find out who are some of the best FIFA gamers in the world, so we can keep an eye on them.
We stalked the grand finalists of the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2016, and other unsung heroes all across the world; so here are some players that we think you should look out for:
DENMARK – Mohamad Al-Bacha
Let’s the with the world champion at the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2016 (FIWC) at New York about 6 months ago. Denmark’s Mohamad Al-Bacha was crowned world champion after defeating England’s Sean Allen in an intense a two-legged final.
Al-Bacha walked away with $20,000 cash prize, and a trip to next Ballon d’Or ceremony.
“It was an excellent feeling. I was very happy, because that was my goal.” he said.
Watch his winning goal here:
The winning moment for Denmark's Mohamad Al-Bacha at the EA Sports FIFA interactive World Cup in NYC pic.twitter.com/B2hf5WkBOX
— Peter Della Penna (@PeterDellaPenna) March 23, 2016
ENGLAND – SEAN ALLEN
At second place is young English lad, Sean Allen from Essex, England, who bagged 59.75 points with the Xbox One. Allen is also a professional FIFA player for West Ham United, and he constantly updates his game play on his Twitter page.
SWEDEN – IVAN LAPANJE
Third behind Allen is Sweden’s Ivan Lapanje, also known as BorasLegend. Apart from the FIWC 2016, Lapanje also won the Las Vegas World Series in 2013, and multiple Swedish championships. According to wikipedia, he is regarded as one of the greatest FIFA players in history.
Although he came in third at the FIWC 2016, this 23-year old earned Sweden’s first ever medal in FIWC history.
FRANCE – DYLAN BANCE
Another FIFA gamer to look out for is Dylan Bance from France. This 23-year old is known for his calm composure, and he finished fourth at the FIWC. He was also a Grand Finalist at Munich last year.
“My style is a slow, possession style. Maybe a bit like Barcelona. I like to keep the ball well and build my attacks slowly. When other players, like Sean [Allen], play a more direct style and more fast paced.” Bance said.
His favourite team is Tottenham Hotspur, and he loves playing the Croatian star, Luka Modric.
USA – Michael Ribeiro
This 26-year old FIWC Grand Finalist has been playing FIFA since 1998. In fact, he made it all the way to finals in FIWC 2008, but ended up in second place.
When asked why he participated in the FIWC, he said, “My competitive drive. Always wanting to be the best. Don’t even do it for the money.”
Besides football, he also enjoys playing basketball.
Let’s look at some FIFA gamers closer to home…
INDIA – SANTANU BASU
He may not be a household name, but 27-year old Santanu Basu has won many regional and international accolades for his country. At a recent FIFA online tournament at Yiwu, China, the Kolkata boy finished fourth and took home $2,000.
“I suffered from acute pancreatitis and was forced to stay home for a lot of time. Due to this I developed an interest in video games,” he said.
Although the online gaming culture is not very happening in India, Basu’s skills did not go unrecognised, he is currently sponsored by three Taiwanese companies.
SINGAPORE – JOSEPH ‘ZARATE’ YEO
This 23-year old Singaporean has won an impressive number of championships; including the 2015 Fifa Online 3 Fantasy Cup Road To Thailand (1st), the 2015 Fifa Online 3 Sea Championsh
Follow him on Facebook to witness his online gaming journey.
MALAYSIA – TEAM MALAYSIA TIGERS
These unsung heroes made Malaysia proud by finishing third at the EA Champions Cup held in Shanghai Expo Center, China. The team is made up of Wintersss, eMasterVin, RBxArroyos, and Favlain. Wintersss, or his real name, Ahmad Nazreen, is currently pursuing a career in eSports and a Computer Science degree.
At third place, the team won $30,000 cash prize. But this was no easy feat, the team trained at least 6 to 10 hours a day training,about 3 to 4 days a week. Thank you for making the country proud at the international arena, guys, and we wish you more success in the future!
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