RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Dutch esports prodigy ManuBachoore emerged victorious at the FC Pro World Championship during the 2025 Esports World Cup, defeating Team Vitality’s Brice Masson in a tense 5–3 final. This landmark win makes him the first-ever two-time EA SPORTS FC world champion, previously claiming the FIFAe World Cup 2023 title. Alongside his historic win, he takes home $250,000 in prize money.
A Tournament of Underdogs
Neither finalist was expected to make the final eight, let alone battle for the trophy in Riyadh. ManuBachoore, despite being a former World Champion, had to start his campaign in the Play-Ins after missing out on automatic qualification. From there, he fought his way through a tough group and knockout bracket, earning one of the final four spots at the World Championship. Once on the main stage, he went on an unbeaten run — cruising past Rampazzo with ten goals, edging Jonny 3-2 in a tense quarter-final, and dispatching GuiBarros 5-1 in the semis — before reaching his second-ever Grand Final.
Brice Masson’s path was no less remarkable. The Frenchman had endured a difficult season, finishing 35th out of 36 in the eChampions League and arriving in Riyadh with little expectation. But he stunned Paulo Neto, knocked out Spanish veteran nicolas99fc, and defeated Obrun in the quarter-finals to set up a semifinal clash with Team Liquid’s Levi de Weerd. There, Brice showed his resilience, grabbing a late winner to reach the Grand Final on his World Championship debut.
Both players had defied the odds to reach the biggest stage of all, setting up a showdown that would go down in FC Pro history.
Road to the Final
Brice Masson’s Run:
- Defeated top players including Nicolas “nicolas99fc” Villalba, Francesco “Obrun2002” Tagliafierro, and Levi de Weerd.
| Player | Nationality | Team | Highlights & Achievements |
| nicolas99fc | Argentina | Cloud9 | LaLiga FC Pro champion (2024, 2025), eChampions League winner (2022), consistent high-tier performer |
| Obrun2002 | Italy | exeed | FC Pro Open finalist (2025), World Cup 3–4th place (2023), giant-killer in qualifiers |
| Levi de Weerd | Netherlands | Team Liquid | FC Pro 25 Worlds 3rd place (2025), strong viewership draw, consistent top-tier placements |
ManuBachoore’s Run:
- Took down Leandro Peixoto, Jonas “Jonny” Wirth, and Guilherme “GuiBarros” Barros.
| Player | Nationality | Team | Highlights & Achievements |
| Leandro Peixoto | France/Portugal | FC Lorient | eLigue 1 champion (2025, fifth straight title for club), eCoupe de France winner (2025), FC Pro 25 Open 3–4th (2025), over $160K+ in career earnings |
| Jonas “Jonny” Wirth | Germany | S8UL Esports | eChampions League champion (2024), Virtual Bundesliga Grand Final champion (2024), “world champion beater” reputation, ~$196K in prize money |
| Guilherme “GuiBarros” Barros | Brazil | New York Red Bulls | FC Pro 25 Worlds 4th place (2025), eLibertadores runner-up (2024), eMLS Cup finalist (2025), Brazil’s top performer at EWC 2025 |
The scale of the event was enormous:
- 512 players in the last-chance qualifier
- 48 players in the play-ins
- 32 players in the main tournament
From that massive field, ManuBachoore and Brice Masson proved they belonged at the very top.
The Final Showdown
Brice Masson struck first, taking an early lead, but ManuBachoore responded with a 4–2 advantage by halftime.
- Brice closed the gap early in the second half.
- ManuBachoore sealed the deal with a decisive 85th-minute goal, ending the match 5–3.
This win makes ManuBachoore only the second player ever to lift the Esports World Cup trophy in EA SPORTS FC competition.
“I came here through the play-ins… I wasn’t even sure I’d qualify for the tournament… It’s a dream,” said ManuBachoore in his post-match remarks.
Club Championship Implications
The final carried significant Esports World Cup Club Championship implications:
- Team Liquid moves into first place in the standings.
- They overtook Team Falcons to move into first place in the Esports World Cup Club Championship standings. This happened after Ahmad “AbuMakkah” Mujahid of Team Falcons was eliminated early without scoring any points, allowing Team Liquid to take over the lead
- They overtook Team Falcons to move into first place in the Esports World Cup Club Championship standings. This happened after Ahmad “AbuMakkah” Mujahid of Team Falcons was eliminated early without scoring any points, allowing Team Liquid to take over the lead
- Team Liquid becomes the first club in Esports World Cup history to win three tournaments in a single event.
- Chess — Team Liquid’s Magnus Carlsen won the inaugural Esports World Cup chess tournament (defeating Alireza Firouzja), giving Team Liquid a vital boost in the standings.
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid‑Season Cup (MSC 2025) — Team Liquid PH won the MLBB Mid‑Season Cup at the 2025 Esports World Cup, completing the organization’s MLBB trophy cabinet in a 4–1 grand final victory over Selangor Red Giants OG.
- FC Pro World Championship (EA Sports FC 25) — Manuel “ManuBachoore” Bachoore secured Team Liquid’s third title by winning the FC Pro World Championship in a 5–3 final against Brice Masson of Team Vitality
- Ahmad “AbuMakkah” Mujahid of Team Falcons was eliminated early, scoring no points.
Why This Win Matters
- Historic First: ManuBachoore becomes the first-ever two-time EA SPORTS FC world champion.
- Underdog Story: Qualified through play-ins, defeating multiple top-tier opponents.
- Club Milestone: Helped Team Liquid achieve a triple-tournament sweep.
- Career Achievement: $250,000 prize adds to his status as one of the top earners in EA SPORTS FC esports:
| Player | Game | Current Team | Total Winnings |
| 1. nicolas99fc | EA Sports FC | C9 | $851,431 |
| 2. Vejrgang | EA Sports FC | RBLZ | $790,987 |
| 3. Umut | EA Sports FC | RBLZ | $756,907 |
| 4. Msdossary | EA Sports FC | Falcons | $724,097 |
| 5. Tekkz | EA Sports FC | ManCity | $672,494 |
| 6. Phzin | EA Sports FC | NYC | $610,235 |
| 7. ManuBachoore | EA Sports FC | Team Liquid | $541,194 |
| 8. Bonanno | EA Sports FC | ManCity | $473,824 |
| 9. jafonsogv | EA Sports FC | ANEM | $442,063 |
| 10. Neat | EA Sports FC | SC | $408,545 |
