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xX ThE RoYaL Xx's Journey to Berlin - FIFA 17 Ultimate Team Championship

Posted April 7th at 4:00pm.

Player Spotlight: Khalid Aloufi

“I will win.” This was the mantra that Khalid "xX ThE RoYaL Xx" Aloufi, known best as just “ThE RoYaL,” repeated to himself on a daily basis as he prepared to compete in Sydney, Australia at the Season 1 Rest of the World Regional Final of the 2017 FIFA Ultimate Team Championship Series. ThE RoYaL, staying true to his goal and fighting hard for victory, lifted the coveted trophy in the Australian metropolis.

The Comeback Kid

ThE RoYaL's triumph in Sydney came in dramatic fashion. The Madinah native was set to face his Saudi Arabian compatriot, and heavy favourite, Abdulaziz "MrD0ne" Alshehri in the cross-console Grand Final. After losing the first leg by a score of 2-0 on his preferred Xbox One console, many considered ThE RoYaL done and dusted. With the second leg set to be played on MrD0ne's home PlayStation 4 console, it seemed a comeback was not in the cards.

ThE RoYaL needed all the confidence he could muster to climb and conquer the highest of mountains in front of him. In a nail-biting performance, ThE RoYaL put together the performance of his life and clinched the second match 3-1, winning the regional title by virtue of scoring more “away” goals on his non-preferred console, despite the 3-3 aggregate score. His mantra served him well.

In an interview with EA SPORTS, ThE RoYaL confesses this is the one moment that will remain imprinted in his mind for years to come. “It is 'the comeback.’ [While] everyone was thinking it [was] over, I pulled it off and came back to be the champion,” he recalls.

Meteoric Ascension

ThE RoYaL's rise as one of the best FIFA competitors in the world has come at astonishing speed. He began playing the game in 2013, and two years later, as he watched the 2015 FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) online, he started to consider pursuing a competitive career. “I told myself, 'I can be there and compete just like them.'”

And a year later, he did. ThE RoYaL qualified to the 2016 iteration of FIWC in New York City. That trip to the Big Apple was an eye-opening experience for ThE RoYaL and it proved invaluable for his success in Sydney. “[In New York], I didn't know what I would be facing, but that experience gave me an idea [of] what it would be like at the Sydney Regional Final,” he said. “I'm sure that there were a lot of players who had their first event in Sydney, but now they've got that experience and I know they will do better in season two. So good luck to them.”

Family Business

Behind the controller, ThE RoYaL’s success has helped his competitive gaming career gain the approval of his family. “One of the best things that changed after I won in Sydney was the way my family looked at me while playing video games, in general. They used to say that I should study more and not play ‘kids’ games,’ but now they say that I should play and practice more [laughs].”

Despite the growing support of his family, ThE RoYaL is not planning on dropping his university studies, even if an opportunity to join the pro ranks comes along. “I don't understand why people think that being a professional FIFA player means that you can't do something else,” he said. “For me, I'm studying dentistry, and I'll be a dentist in two years, but I will also be a professional FIFA player. I'm not planning to stop doing either of them,” he asserts.

Journey to Berlin

The old adage professes that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. ThE RoYaL was certainly mentally and physically prepared to seize that moment in Sydney. “I practiced with some friends and played the Weekend League. Preparing mentally was special, I guess. Since the day I knew I qualified, I said to myself every day, and to whoever asked me about the tournament, 'I will win.' It helped me a lot in the end and, thankfully, I ended up becoming the champion.”

It was an all-Saudi final in Sydney. The support that his home country poured in for ThE RoYaL and MrD0ne was palpable online and through social media. Having a Saudi Arabian champion meant a great deal to the Middle Eastern country. “Saudi people are amazing. The amount of support was unbelievable, and I'm grateful for all of it. Success is expected from us in general, so it was very important to all of us,” ThE RoYaL reflects.

Now, the next step in his career is to battle with the top FIFA competitors at the 2017 Ultimate Team Championship in Berlin, where he looks forward to meeting and playing against his fellow Regional Champions, Tassal “Hashtag Tass” Rushan and Rafael “Rafifa13” Fortes.

Just as he had before the Sydney Regional Final, ThE RoYaL already has a goal in mind. “Winning it. That's my goal, I know it will be 100 times harder, but I will do my best.”

Yes, it will be a difficult task to win it all in Berlin, but ThE RoYaL has already proven that when he put his mind to it, there is no obstacle too big.

Watch ThE RoYaL's journey live from Berlin on May 20 and 21 on FUTChampions.com/Live.