It all comes down to this. After competing online and in live events over the course of the last 6 months, the top thirty-two FIFA players in the world have been selected and will converge in Berlin on May 19 and 20 to compete at the Ultimate Team Championship.
Players from Europe, North and South America, and Asia will battle for the chance to win a piece of the $400,000 USD cash prize, including $160,000 to the Utimate Champion, and the bragging rights of being named the best FIFA player in the world.
With a roster full of talented players, the Xbox Division will be extremely competitive. Here are our picks to be the front runners in the competition:
What a start to 2017 for Tassal “Hashtag Tass” Rushan! The London native dominated the Regional Final competition in Paris, with strong play on both sides of the pitch on his way to the $30,000 USD grand prize at the Ultimate Team Championship series event on February 4, 2017.
The Hashtag United eSports team member went undefeated in France, showing considerable skill in front of his boss, Spencer Owen, and a collection of the best players Europe has to offer. He'll look to continue his run of dominance in Berlin at the Ultimate Team Championship Final on May 19 and 20, where the question asked is sure to be, “Who can stop him?”
“RA-FI-FA! RA-FI-FA!” That chant echoed throughout Miami as Rafael Salles “Rafifa13” Leite Fortes dominated the competition at the 2017 Americas Season 1 Regional Final in Florida, coming in first and securing his place at the Ultimate Team Championship Final in Berlin.
His triumph came after defeating fellow Brazilian Lucas “LucasRep98” Costa in the Grand Final in front of an electric crowd. The match was won thanks to Rafifa13’s fluid gameplay mixed with tactical savvy and the ability to thrive in the big moments. It’s a powerful combination, and one that lifted the Rio de Janeiro native to new heights.
Next, it's time to take on the world in Berlin.
After placing 16th in the 2016 FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC), Khalid “xX ThE RoYaL Xx” Aloufi returned to competitive action at the 2017 Regional Final in Sydney. And what a comeback it was! Traveling all the way from Madinah, Saudi Arabia, xX ThE RoYaL Xx secured his trip to the Australian metropolis after a solid run in the November Weekend League, winning 116 matches.
The experience gained in New York during FIWC proved key for the xX ThE RoYaL Xx, as he put together a dominant performance in Sydney and was able to proclaim himself Regional Champion after an electric Grand Final against fan favourite Abdulaziz “A8drAfwz” Alshehri, better known as “MrD0ne”.
xX ThE RoYaL Xx remained unbeaten in Sydney and displayed some of the best gameplay in the Regional Finals. He is now focused on the FIFA Ultimate Team Championship in Berlin, where he will try to continue his dominance and make Saudi Arabia proud once more.
Aldossary “MSdossary7” Mossad steamrolled the competition on his way to lifting the Season 2 Rest of the Wold Regional title. This feat is a difficult one under the best of circumstances; however, the accomplishment by MSdossary7 becomes even more impressive when one considers the journey he took from his native Saudi Arabia.
He arrived in Whistler late on the day before the event after travelling for over 26 hours. Despite the long trip and little time to rest and prepare, MSdossary7 dominated his opposition throughout the tournament remaining unbeaten through eight games and conceding only five goals in the process. Aldossary “MSdossary7” Mossad was the best player on the day and was more than a deserving champion.
Now, MSdossary7 rounds out an impressive Saudi Arabian contingent at the Ultimate Team Championship in Berlin alongside fellow Regional Champions Khalid "xX ThE RoYaL Xx" Aloufi and Abdulaziz "MrD0ne" Alshehri. This trio have the ability to make their country proud in Germany.
Spencer “Gorilla” Ealing was a strong favourite heading into the 2017 Regional Final in Paris, but things went off-track when he was grouped with August “PSG Agge” Rosenmeier, Chevrey “Vitality_RocKy” Corentin, and Christopher “Thee Bullock” Bullock. His failure to make it past the group stage brought up some past doubts about the seasoned competitor’s ability to make the transition from his success in FIFA 15 and FIFA 16 — even after he put together an amazing run of win totals in the 2016 Weekend League.
While his elimination in Paris sent shockwaves throughout the FIFA competitive scene, his response was telling. Gorilla dominated during the Season 2 qualifying campaign and arrived to Madrid with a chip on his shoulder, ready to quiet his doubters.
Those questions were put to rest in the Spanish capital. Ealing won all three games in the group stage, cementing himself as a player to watch in the knockout round. Adversity struck early in the knockout round, as Ealing was dispatched to the lower bracket by Niklas “NRaseck” Raseck in penalties.
It wasn't the end of the road for Gorilla and, after mounting wins against Tim "S04 Tim Latka" Schwartmann, Sean “Dragon” Allen, Quinten “Feyenoord Quinten X” van der Most, and Niklas “NRaseck” Raseck, he reached the Xbox One Final.
He had to beat Lucas “Daxe” Cuillerier twice to claim the title and he did exactly that, prevailing in penalties in the first game and with a 1-0 win in the second fixture.
He did it the hard way but ultimately, Gorilla achieved what everyone expected of him, winning the Xbox One Divisional title.
While he fell in the Grand Final against Daniele “Prinsipe” Paolucci, one thing is certain: Gorilla is back and he will be ready to win it all in Berlin.
You can watch all the tournament live from Berlin on May 19 at 12:00 p.m and May 20 at 11 a.m. on FUTChampions.com/Live or in our Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook channels.
Also, catch our extended coverage including exclusive, behind-the-scenes content live from the venue on our FIFA social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
