A photo of the FC Pro World Championship trophy from the 2025 FC Pro World Championship at the Esports World Cup on August 10, 2025.
© Brandon Dowling/Esports World Cup
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EA FC Pro 2026 World Championship: Everything you need to know

After an incredible season, the 2026 FC Pro World Championship is right around the corner for one player to claim the top prize. Here's everything you need to know.
Written by Jon Partridge
7 min readPublished on
It's here: the 2026 FC Pro World Championship is heating up, and 36 of the world's best EA FC 26 players will compete for the top prize and the title of being the best on the planet. Many players have had triumphant journeys to the EA FC competitive summit, with almost every player having a different journey to the World Championship, but the mission is the same for each: to be the best.
With everything to play for in the coming weeks from July 9, here's everything you need to know about the 2026 FC Pro World Championship.

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01

What is the 2026 FC Pro World Championship?

The FC Pro World Championship is the culmination of the EA FC Pro 26 season, where 36 of the best players in the world will come together in Paris, France to compete for the top title and the grand prize.
A photo of GuiBarros and Tekkz competing during the 2025 FC Pro World Championship at the Esports World Cup on August 9, 2025.

GuiBarros and Tekkz played out an exciting quarter-final in 2025

© Lee Aik Soon/Esports World Cup

Held as part of the 2026 Esports World Cup, the FC Pro World Championship is the ultimate prize for FC Pro players, with winners from various global Leagues across the world set to compete. Pros have also qualified from the FC Pro Open, and players will be making their way in through the Play-In stage to potentially cause upsets – expect wildcards and last minute local heroes to make a dent here.
With a $1.5m prize pool up for grabs, along with the FC Pro trophy – and EWC Club Points – there's plenty to play for during EA FC's biggest event of the year.
02

Where and when is the FC Pro World Championship held?

There are multiple dates to keep in mind for the various stages, but everything for the FC Pro 26 World Championship will be held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris, France.
  • The Last Chance Qualifier for the Play-In event takes place from July 9 through to July 11, with 1,024 players competing for a last minute shot at glory.
  • The Play-In Stage for the FC Pro World Championship will take place on July 12, which will see 60 players compete until they're whittled down to a final 10.
  • The 2026 FC Pro World Championship will then be held from July 22 through to July 26, with 36 players competing for the top prize. The finals will be broken down into two stages:
  • The Group Stage where each player will play six matches against six different opponents.
  • The top 24 then advance to the Knockout Stage.
  • The top eight advance straight to Round 2
  • The remaining 16 advance to Round 1
03

What happened during the 2025 FC Pro World Championship?

After a long season, the 2025 FC Pro season came to a head with the FC Pro 25 World Championship, held as part of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. During an epic series of games throughout the tournament, Manuel 'ManuBachoore' Bachoore made his way from the Play-In round of the tournament to then triumph over Team Vitality's Brice 'Brice' Masson, lifting the trophy for Team Liquid. Dutchman Levi de Weerd finished in third for Team Liquid, while RBLZ Gaming's Guilherme 'GuiBarros' Barros concluded his run in fourth.
04

Who to keep an eye out for during the 2026 FC Pro World Championship

This year's tournament features familiar faces and top contenders, guaranteeing an exciting tournament where dominant displays and close matches will no doubt show up. Expect newcomers and surprise upsets to happen too, especially with the prospect of a Last Chance Qualifier turning up and surprising the world. Here are some of the top faces to keep an eye on.
ManuBachoore
A photo of ManuBachoore with the trophy following his win during the 2025 FC Pro World Championship at the Esports World Cup on August 10, 2025.

ManuBachoore will be aiming to defend his title

© Brandon Dowling/Esports World Cup

Reigning world champion Manuel 'ManuBachoore' Bachoore is back to defend his title. After a thrilling journey to the top of the tournament last year, he'll be aiming to make a repeat and show that he's still the best in the world. With a 5th-8th finish during the FC Pro 26 Open, ManuBachoore booked his place in this year's World Championship – and as the current champion, will surely have a target on his back. Can the former 2023 eWorld Cup winner defend his 2025 title, and become a back-to-back winner? Keep your eyes peeled to see how far he can go.
Alihan
Bulgaria's Alihan 'Alihan' Hadzhi is looking to strike at this year's World Championship, qualifying after making waves through his Virtual Bundesliga season, and aiming to go far in his first time fighting for the trophy. The RBLZ Gaming star went undefeated through his group in the Virtual Bundesliga, racking up plenty of goals on his way to the final – including an 11-3 thrashing of Swiss player Gianluca 'gianluca_m17' Mautone – before falling short in a 9-7 goal bonanza against Nassim 'Nassada' Dahman.
Alihan also qualified for the eChampions League, and made it all the way to the semi-finals – dumping out his Virtual Bundesliga rival Nassada in the quarters – before finishing in 3rd-4th place. At just 17, the young star has a bright future ahead and will be aiming to hoist up the trophy before his birthday in August.
Vejrgang
Anders Vejrgang poses for a portrait during a photoshoot in Aalborg, Denmark on April 13, 2026.

Anders Vejrgang is one of the world's top EA FC players

© Esben Zøllner Olesen/Red Bull Content Pool

Former 2024 FC Pro World Champion Anders Vejrgang is one of the top pros on the planet, and will be looking to once again reclaim the top prize in FC Pro. The FC Pro 26 Open winner retained his trophy for a second year to book a place in the World Championship, taking down rival Emre 'EmreYilmaz' Yilmaz in the finals, along with despatching reigning World Champ ManuBachoore in the quarter-finals.
And while the Danish player took home the 2024 trophy, and was tipped to retain it during the 2025 World Championship, he made an early exit in 17th to 24th place. This year, however, he looks to be back in top form, and after dominating eSerie A 2026, and the eChampions League, he'll have an extra spring in his step to conquer this year's tournament in Paris.
Msdossary
Mosaad Al Dossary poses for a portrait at RBLZ media day in Leipzig, Germany on November 9, 2022.

Msdossary is a veteran of the EA FC circuit

© Marcel Lämmerhirt/Red Bull Content Pool

Saudi Arabian FC Pro star Mossad 'Msdossary' Aldossary is a veteran of the EA FC scene, and is a former World Champion himself, taking the 2018 eWorld Cup home with him – and he's still hungry for success. The 26-year old has been competing for almost a decade, and is still impressing with his skills.
The Team Falcons player made waves through his national league to make it to this year's World Championship, taking on Ahmad 'AbuMakkah' Mujahid in the eSPL's grand final. And despite resetting the bracket and drawing twice, Msdossary unfortunately ended up in second place – but locked in his place at the World Championship, and he'll be aiming to represent his club and country on the world stage.
Levi de Weerd
A photo of Levi de Weerd competing during the 2025 FC Pro World Championship at the Esports World Cup on August 9, 2025.

Levi de Weerd is ready to make the grand final

© Jianhua Chen/Esports World Cup

22-year old Dutch FC Pro player Levi de Weerd is ready for Paris. After he claimed third place at last year's tournament, he's keen to go all the way for the 2026 World Championship. His journey to Paris began via his 3rd-4th finish during this year's FC Pro Open, where he made his way to the semi-finals after topping his group, before falling to Vejrgang in a close 6-5 battle – but it's clear he has the skill to go far.
After a second place finish to Frenchman Brice during the eCoupe de France 2026 playoffs finals, he'll be determined to brush himself off and prove he's got what it takes on the world stage.
RedLac
23-year old British pro Alfie 'RedLac' Calder has high hopes for his World Championship campaign. After winning the eMLS Cup with Toronto FC this year, he booked himself his slot in Paris, and will be aiming to make his mark in front of the world. With the eMLS trophy, it represents the RBLZ Gaming star's first major win as a pro EA FC player, having begun his career during the 2021 season. With a whole new tier of players to compete against during the World Championship, he'll have to contend with some of the best players to grace the game – but this is one rising star to watch

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