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The FC Pro World Championship lineup is finally locked in after a dramatic day of Play-Ins in Paris, where dreams were made, favourites crashed out and only 10 players survived one of the toughest days of competitive EA SPORTS FC 26 this season.
With just 10 places available alongside the 26 players who had already secured qualification earlier in the year, Sunday’s Play-Ins were a brutal test of consistency. There were no second chances. One bad performance and months of preparation came to an end. Sadly, some of the biggest names in the FC community learned that lesson the hard way.
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FC Pro World Championship Field Is Finally Complete
The day began with 60 players divided into 10 groups of six.
Each competitor played five group matches, with only the top four progressing. The remaining 40 players were then thrown into 10 separate single-elimination gauntlet brackets, where only one player from each bracket earned a place at the FC Pro World Championship.
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After an intense day of action, these players secured the final qualification spots:
- Obrun2002 (Italy)
- Brice (France)
- Er_Caccia98 (Italy)
- Adida (Germany)
- levyfinn (Germany)
- Neat (Spain)
- RvPLegend (Netherlands)
- GugaFerraz (Brazil)
- Virgil (Germany)
- Ilian (France)
Among the standout stories was Italian veteran Obrun2002, who completed an incredible journey after battling through the massive 512-player Last Chance Qualifier before defeating GuiBarros 5-2 to book his place in Paris later this month.
Big Names Sent Home
If Sunday proved anything, it was that reputation means very little once the controller is in your hands. Several household names failed to survive the gauntlet despite arriving as favourites.
Among the biggest casualties were:
- Tekkz
- Jonny
- GuiBarros
Each came within touching distance of qualification but fell at the final hurdle. Neat edged Tekkz 7-6 in one of the day’s closest contests, while GugaFerraz eliminated Jonny 8-6. GuiBarros, meanwhile, was convincingly beaten by Obrun2002.
The Stars Already Waiting in Paris
The 10 Play-In winners now join 26 players who had already secured their places earlier in the season through the FC Pro Open and official regional leagues.
Among them are some of the biggest names in competitive EA SPORTS FC, including defending world champion ManuBachoore, Danish sensation Anders Vejrgang, Saudi Arabian legend Msdossary, Argentine icon Nicolas99FC, and Dutch stars Levi de Weerd and Emre Yilmaz.
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The 26 Pre-Qualified Players
FC Pro Open Qualifiers
- Anders Vejrgang (Denmark)
- EmreYilmaz (Netherlands)
- Danipitbull (Spain)
- Levi de Weerd (Netherlands)
- ManuBachoore (Netherlands)
- Umut (Germany)
- HHezerS (Italy)
- Nassada (Germany)
League Partner Qualifiers
- Jafonsogv (Portugal)
- Bonanno (Argentina)
- MarwanMC9 (France)
- Karimisbak (France)
- ChrisdeBoer (Netherlands)
- Luuk (Netherlands)
- Nicolas99FC (Argentina)
- DFernandes (Spain)
- Alihan (Germany)
- Milkalove (Germany)
- AboMakkah (Saudi Arabia)
- Msdossary (Saudi Arabia)
- K1John (United States)
- RedLac (United States)
- Paulo Neto (Brazil)
- PHzin (Brazil)
- Samugamer (South Korea)
- SmalkXVII (Japan)
This means the FC Pro World Championship will feature a stacked 36-player field, with the world’s best competitors battling for the biggest prize in EA SPORTS FC esports.
Why This Matters for East African Players
For East African players, Sunday’s results were another reminder that reputation means very little in FC 26. Former finalists like Tekkz and Jonny couldn’t survive the brutal single-elimination format, proving that consistency matters more than star power.
It’s a lesson local competitors can relate to.
Whether it’s the Africa Ultimate Series, Phoenix Tournament, Pelikan FIFA Tournament or the Kenya Esports Series, every event has shown that one mistake can end a title run. The biggest names don’t always win, and every match has to be earned. That mindset is exactly what has helped players like Harry Kappa, Trex, Shaq, Collo Gamer and Mcoasty enjoy successful runs this FC 26 season.
What’s Next?
The 10 Play-In winners now join the 26 players who qualified earlier through the FC Pro Open and official regional leagues. The 36-player field features some of the biggest stars in competitive FC, including defending world champion ManuBachoore, Anders Vejrgang, Levi de Weerd, Msdossary and Nicolas99FC.
The FC Pro World Championship will take place from July 22 to July 26 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles as players battle for a share of the $1.5 million prize pool and the biggest title in competitive EA SPORTS FC 26. With several favourites already eliminated before the main event has even begun, the race for the world title is more open than many expected.
East Gamers News will continue following the FC Pro World Championship throughout the group stage and knockout rounds, bringing East African fans the biggest stories from the world’s biggest FC 26 competition.
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