November 27 – The EA Sports FC Pro Open kicked off its new season on Monday night at BBC White City studios, marking the start of a lengthy campaign that will pull together the world’s elite in competitive EA FC.
Now firmly established as EA Sports’ second-largest esports competition, the Open brings together 24 of the top players on the planet, split into four groups of six, for a season of high-stakes matchdays and relentless pressure.
The prize on offer is twofold: prestige and significant prize money in the Open itself, but more importantly, qualification for the FC Pro World Championship at the end of the season – the golden ticket every player is chasing.
Few understand the weight of that stage better than Dutch star Manuel Bachoore, who last season won the FC Pro World Championship in Riyadh as part of the Esports World Cup, lifting the trophy and taking home the lion’s share of a $1 million prize pool.
Speaking on Tuesday after beginning his new campaign, Bachoore made clear that ambition has not dulled with success.
“Every season the goal is to qualify first for the World Championships, but I’m also treating the FC Pro Open as a competition in of itself,” he said. “I always want to win, and today is that first step and I’m excited to be back playing.”
The Open has not always been kind to him, however. “These are the results that get remembered and really count,” he reflected. “I have my history in this tournament – it’s not always gone how I wanted, so it’s time to put that right.”
While ManuBachoore is chasing a successful title defence at world level, another giant of the scene is targeting redemption in the Open. Emre Yilmaz, the reigning eChampions League winner after triumphing in Munich in May, finds himself in one of the competition’s toughest groups – and he knows it.
“My FC Pro Open group is very tough, full of the big names and not many of the new guys coming through,” he said in an exclusive interview with Inside World Football on Tuesday.
“The FC Pro Open means a lot because I think this tournament is actually bigger than the eChampions League. The first competition I reached the semi-final, and last year I was pretty disappointed. This year I want to take my revenge for that.”
Yilmaz’s season has already taken him across continents. Earlier this month, he competed in DreamHack Atlanta, where EA hosted the qualifying stage of the Open – a notable expansion of the tournament’s geographic footprint.
“DreamHack was a very cool experience,” he explained. “It was great to travel to America to play the game, and I think it’s a good thing to get more cities involved outside of the UK, which is where they were mostly hosted before.”
The contrast between the two events was stark.
“DreamHack was tougher than it is here in London. Here, it is EA-focused and really quiet so we can focus on our warm-ups and our own game. At DreamHack, we had the Clash of Clans World Cup right behind us which was a busy event. Still, the whole event was really fun but it was a different experience than we’re used to.”
As for the season ahead, Yilmaz’s confidence remains unshaken.“I always back myself to win, even if I lost my last two games,” he said. “If I didn’t back myself, that’s just unprofessional to me.”
His ambitions also stretch beyond the Open. The eChampions League final follows the location of UEFA’s real-world showpiece, and this season it lands in Hungary.
“I’ve never been to Hungary and I need to be there! It’s a massive incentive for me.”
Both players agree on one thing: EA’s investment in the ecosystem continues to shape their careers – not only through prize pools or competitive structure, but also through reach.
“If I play one tournament, I get loads of reels and TikToks which help to put my name out there,” Yilmaz explained. “The better you do in tournaments the more coverage you get, and EA’s coverage is so important for my brand.”
Bachoore added: “Of course these tournaments are hosted by EA, and if it wasn’t for these tournaments I’d still just be a regular player. I’d still be going to school and studying, so in that sense this platform has given me everything.”
For further information, contact the writer, Harry Ewing, at [email protected].