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FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs: How They Got There

Posted May 25th at 6:00am.

The best FIFA 18 competitors in the world* have worked hard to qualify for the next big FIFA 18 competitive event: the Global Series Playoffs. 128 players, 64 each on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, will compete in Amsterdam to determine who qualifies for the FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Final. 

Don't miss any of the Global Series Playoff action from Amsterdam by watching the event live on TwitchYouTubeTwitter, and Facebook starting at 2pm CET on Monday, May 28. 

The two FUT Champions Cup tournaments provided many competitors (learn more about the Manchester and Barcelona tournaments), but a large number of others will be joining them for the Playoffs via Official Qualifiers. Learn more below about the competitors who qualified through these methods.

Simon “FNATIC Zimme” Nystedt (PS4)

Team: Roma FNATIC

Nationality: Swedish

Qualification Method: Gfinity Elite Series UK

Twitter: @Zimmeghj

Zimme made a strong case for himself as a rising star during the tournament, beating UNILAD Shellzz and Eisvogel7 in the finals to claim his Global Series Playoffs spot and Roma Fnatic’s first major trophy. At the start of the event, he made a bet over Twitter that if he won, he would get the infamous “Ronaldo” haircut from the 2002 World Cup (as pictured above). He had this done live, on stream, after being crowned champion. He and his teammate Rannerz put on a fantastic show, and showed that a real zero-to-hero story is possible when they took down UNILAD, Hashtag United, and many more on their journey to the top.

 

Conran “FNATIC Rannerz” Tobin (XB1)

Team: Roma FNATIC

Nationality: Irish

Qualification Method: Gfinity Elite Series UK

Twitter: @Rannerz_

At the start of the FIFA 18 season in Barcelona, Rannerz was an unsigned free agent. However, after being drafted by manager Colin Johnson to Roma Fnatic for the Gfinity Elite Series, he has stepped up his game. After demonstrating fantastic performances on a regular basis for Roma Fnatic, he quickly claimed a starting position for the team's Xbox division. Rannerz defeated FIFA juggernaut FaZe Tass in the final of the Elite Series UK to claim a crucial playoff spot. One to watch out for, he and teammate Zimme could make waves in Amsterdam.

 

Diego “Diegog1996” Gonzalez (PS4)

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Team: Unsigned

Nationality: Argentinian

Qualification Method: Copa TyC

Twitter: @DiegoG1996_

The Argentine lost to nicolas99fc in the emotional final of Copa TyC, but as his countryman's qualification was already secured via the FUT Champions Cup Barcelona, diegog1996 claimed the competition's Playoffs spot. He might be seen by many as an underdog going into the playoffs, but his performances in the qualifiers hint at a player with real promise. Diegog1996 will get his first real chance to impress on a global stage in Amsterdam, and it's unlikely to be the last we see of the young Argentine on the FIFA circuit. 

 

Szirtesi "Gabinho" Gábor (XB1)

Team: Esport1.hu

Nationality: Hungarian

Qualification Method: V4 Future Sports Festival

Facebook: Gabinho

Playing in his hometown of Budapest, Gabinho came from out of nowhere to shock former top-ranked Hungarian molnargabo at the V4 Future Sports Festival. After narrowly squeezing past the group stage thanks to a penalty shootout, his knockout stage run was an incredible performance, in which he beat molnargabo twice and took down powerhouse competitor Riptorek on both consoles in the final. Gabinho thrives under pressure, and even though he is very young, he'll be looking to make his country proud in Amsterdam.

 

“Cihan” Yasarlar (PS4)

Team: Red Bull Leipzig

Nationality: Germany

Qualification Method: Virtuelle Bundesliga

Twitter: @CYasarlar

A real veteran of the competitive FIFA scene, Cihan technically qualified for the playoffs not once, but twice; he initially qualified via the Virtual Bundesliga before taking home the ESL Meisterschaft trophy a few weeks later. Known for his bombastic personality during tournaments, the German wants to finally show he's the best in Amsterdam after a less than stellar performances on the highest stage during the FUT Champions Cup. 

 

Philipp “Eisvogel7” Schermer (PS4)

Team: EnvyUs

Nationality: Germany

Qualification Method: ESL Meisterschaft

Twitter: @Eisvogel_7

Eisvogel has been a consistent presence in competitive FIFA this season; before his fantastic run to the FUT Champions Cup Manchester final, Eisvogel7 secured his Playoffs spot by finishing as runner-up at the ESL Meisterschaft competition. His team EnvyUs made it to the Gfinity Elite Series finals, where they lost to eventual winners Roma Fnatic on penalty kicks. This didn’t stop their momentum, as they also the final of the FIFA eClub World Cup, with Eisvogel7 leading the charge. After his dramatic losses in the FUT Champions Cup Manchester, Gfinity Series and FIFA eClub World Cup finals, the German wants to prove in Amsterdam that he can stay cool on the global stage and return home with an overdue trophy.

 

Fernando “fernandoamraan” Amraan (PS4)

Team: Team Flash

Nationality: Singaporean

Qualification Method: EA Champions Cup Spring 2018

Fernandoamraan put in an incredible performance as Team Flash captain in the EA Champions Cup semifinals, turning many heads and prompting observers to seriously consider them as contenders to the title. After his team went 1-2 down in a best-of-5 series, fernandoamraan stepped up for Flash in a big way. He completed the team's comeback victory in dramatic fashion after beating all remaining players on the Lyon EDG team to send Flash to the tournament final and secure their tickets to the FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs.

 

Li “CHILOKN” Sijun (PS4)

Team: Team Flash

Nationality: Chinese

Qualification Method: EA Champions Cup Spring 2018

CHILOKN of China shocked many in the community when he joined Singapore-based Team Flash to compete in the EA Champions Cup Spring 2018, especially considering his reigning title as China's eSports Player of the Year in 2017. His new team's fans took to him quickly after his unbelievable performance in the final against local Thai team TNP A. Even though CHILOKN started his tournament slowly, he improved substantially with every match played. He reached his peak in the final, dominating every opponent as he led Team Flash to a commanding 3-0 victory. 

 

Joseph “TroelEmbiid21” Yeo (PS4)

Team: Team Flash

Nationality: Singaporean

Qualification Method: EA Champions Cup Spring 2018

Balance comes to mind when describing TroelEmbiid21's performance at the EA Champions Cup Spring 2018. Even though he didn't play too many matches in the semifinals and final, his reliable results at the group stage was vital in securing his team's trip to the quarterfinals, where his poised attack and defence balanced his team and helped them punch their ticket to the semifinals. TroelEmbiid21 is no stranger to competitive FIFA on the global stage, and he looks set to prove himself once more in the FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs. 

Fabian “FUTWIZ Dubzje” De Cae (XB1)

Team: FUTWIZ

Nationality: Germany

Qualification Method: ESWC Paris

Twitter: @Dubzje

Another new face in the competitive FIFA scene, Dubzje has made a name for himself rather quickly. After finishing in the top 32 in Barcelona, Dubzje's momentum continued at ESWC Paris, where he dominated the competition to claim his Playoff spot – beating Manchester champion Msdosary and fellow German MMayo. This was actually Team FUTWIZ’s first major trophy, and Dubzje heads to Amsterdam hoping to bring more silverware to the team's cabinet. 

 

Memo “Kid M3mito” Treviño (PS4)

Team: Houston Dynamo

Nationality: American

Qualification Method: eMLS Cup

Twitter: @KidM3mito

In this year's inaugural eMLS Cup, Kid M3mito made his claim for best competitor in the United States with his astounding 23-game unbeaten run through the tournament. Kid M3mito knocked out Cup favorite NYC_Chris in the knockout stage and beat Montreal Impact’s impressive LyesMTL in the final. He’ll want to continue his unbeaten run in Amsterdam and represent the American FIFA scene well.

 

Samer “Samer96” Elbadar (XB1)

Team: Sydney FC

Nationality: Australian

Qualification Method: e-League

Twitter: @Samer96_

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After being drafted by Sydney FC for the E-League, Samer96 consistently put in great performances and earned a first place finish in the regular season. His crucial game against Melbourne City’s Marcus was a tight match, but Samer came out on top before cruising to the final. He steamrolled joshingwood 6-1 to claim the trophy and a Global Series Playoffs spot. 

 

Teedch “TDKEANE” Songsaisakul (XB1)

Team: TNP Team A

Nationality: Thai

Qualification Method: EA Champions Cup Spring 2018

TDKEANE stood apart from other top players at the EA Champions Cup when he showed immense calmness and poise under pressure, a rarity in massive tournaments like this. In front of a raucous home crowd, TDKEANE's TNP A team took an early 2-0 lead in the semifinal against Korea's adidas X, only to lose the next two games and sit at 2-2 going into the deciding match.  Despite the change in momentum, TDKEANE came in with his signature focus and produced a superstar performance that earned TNP A a trip to the final and the Playoffs.

 

Lee “tosnide” Sangtae (XB1)

Team: adidas X

Nationality: Korean

Qualification Method: EA Champions Cup Spring 2018

Tosnide’s presence on Korea's adidas X team immediately made everyone stand up and respect them as contenders for the tournament title. This is understandable, considering that tosnide won both the EA Champions Cup Summer 2017 and  Winter 2016 events, where he was named both MVP and Top Scorer. Unfortunately, his team couldn't get past the semifinals, where they lost to home team TNP A. Tosnide remains an excellent FIFA player, one of the best in Asia and a potential standout in Amsterdam. 

Catch all the FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs action live from Amsterdam from anywhere in the world starting on Monday, May 28 at 2 p.m. CET.

Make sure to subscribe to the EA SPORTS FIFA YouTube ChannelTwitch Channel, Twitter, and Facebook so you don't miss any FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs news. 

* Eligibility restrictions apply.  Not all platforms are supported for qualification.  See Official Rules for details. Final terms and structure subject to change.