After months of Global Qualifier and Group Stage action, the inaugural FC Pro Open finally came to an end on Saturday night. The final stretch of the tournament saw eight participants battle it out in London to become the first ever FC Pro Open champion.
It was an evening full of drama and intrigue and concluded with Brazilian sensation PHzin lifting the first silverware of the FC 24 season. With that said, let’s dive into the details of the FC Pro Open Finals that took place on this weekend.
How the Finals Unfolded
The FC Pro Open Finals began with the eight players who had made it past the Group Stage clashing in a four-studded Quarter-Finals. Reigning eCL champion Emre Yilmaz battled it out against Obrun, PHzin faced AbuMakkah, Anders Vejrgang clashed with Young and Levi de Weerd was up against Umut.
PHzin and Vejrgang were favourites to triumph in London, with the Brazilian scoring more goals than anybody else in the tournament and Vejrgang going unbeaten in the Group Stages.
Despite the odds being against AbuMakkah and Young, the two proved to be tougher opponents for PHzin and Vejrgang, even leading at some point in their respective fixtures. Young seemed to be on course to victory against Vejrgang before the Dane forced an equalizer in the 119th minute and followed it up with victory in the penalty shootout.
AbuMakkah, on the other hand, managed to contain PHzin until the 93rd minute when the Brazilian scored the winning goal. PHzin won the match 4-3.
Also in the quarters, Emre Yilmaz secured a 4-3 victory over Obrun to set up a semi-final clash against PHzin. Levi de Weerd, on the other hand, needed penalties to defeat Umut and advance to the semis where Vejrgang was waiting.
✅ @EmreYilmazz80 seals his spot in #FCPro Open Semi-Finals and a place at #FCPro World Championships! pic.twitter.com/zp0u8lnUig
— EA SPORTS FC Pro (@EASPORTSFCPro) February 3, 2024
Being just two steps away from triumph in the FC Pro Open Finals, everyone was focused on winning their Semi-final clash. Emre Yilmaz got off to a flying start, scoring against PHzin in the opening minutes of their match. However, the Brazilian turned things around in the first half and ended up thrashing Yilmaz 8-2.
With such a ruthless display, PHzin sent a stern warning to Levi de Weerd and Vejrgang, who clashed in the second Semi-final of the evening. Vejrgang showed his dominance early in the game, taking a 4-1 lead after 60 minutes of play. However, he had to up his game in the last 15 minutes to stop a determined Levi from pulling a comeback. Vejrgang won the match 4-3.
Despite losing in the semis, Yilmaz and Levi booked their spots at the FC Pro World Championships and qualified for next year’s FC Pro Open.
Top 3-4 in the world 🌎 – FC PRO
3-4 Loss vs Anders in the semi-final. Out unfortunately, but most important: World Cup spot & Qualified FC PRO 25 ✅
$45.000 🎒
Thanks for all the support 🫶 pic.twitter.com/0YxOtZPU4Y
— Levi de Weerd (@LevideWeerd) February 3, 2024
Drama in the Grand Final
The first-ever Grand Final of the FC Pro Open was contested by PHzin and Vejrgang, and it was nothing short of drama. Both players scored early, and none was leading by more than a goal throughout the match.
Trailing 5-4 with 20 minutes left to play, Vejrgang scored an equalizer and then proceeded to make fun of his opponent, saying: “He is so bad, he’s so bad”.
Well, that didn’t go well with PHzin who would give Vejrgang a dose of his own medicine after scoring the winner. The Brazilian star won the game with the final kick of the match in the 92nd minute, thanks to Alexis Putellas. Having the final say, PHzin responded to Vejrgang’s early mockery by recreating his iconic celebration in front of him. The Grand Final was pure box office.
👑 @PHZIN IS HIM. #FCPro pic.twitter.com/MXG0ypXp9t
— EA SPORTS FC Pro (@EASPORTSFCPro) February 3, 2024
How Much Did PHzin win?
The eight participants on Saturday were competing for the $350,000 remaining from the FC Pro Open prize money of $500,000.
By lifting the inaugural FC Pro Open trophy, PHzin took home a whopping $80,000. Vejrgang, on the other hand, took home $60,000 after finishing as runner-up. Levi de Weerd and Emre Yilmaz each walked away with $45,000 for making it to the Semi-finals. Obrun, AbuMakkah and Young each received $30,000 for reaching the Quarter-finals.
The just concluded FC Pro Open was the most successful esports tournament organized by EA in history. In terms of viewership, the competition ranked an average minute audience of over 165,000 and over 6 million hours in watch time. The tournament was broadcasted across 109 live channels, reaching more than 17.5 million views.
WHAT. A. FINAL.@PHZIN 🇧🇷 wins the first edition of #FCPro Open! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/msEU7s70gM
— 𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙄𝙉𝙄𝙏𝙔 𝙁𝘾 (@theinfinityfc) February 3, 2024
Live Item Upgrades
As always, the community also had a reason to celebrate as eight items were up for more upgrades during the FC Pro Open Finals. Each item had already received four different upgrades, improving them from their original versions.
However, the big winners are the owners of Van Den Boomen, as the player will be receiving another IF Upgrade and 4* 5* after PHzin won the tournament.
WHAT. A. FINAL.
Congrats to @PHzin on winning the FC Pro Open 👏
Van Den Boomen owners will be seeing another IF Upgrade and 4* 5* 😤#FCPro #EAFC #FC24 pic.twitter.com/h8b69ekAzH
— 𝙁𝙐𝙏𝙒𝙄𝙕 (@FUTWIZ) February 3, 2024
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