20-year old SA man selected to compete in global FIFA18 competition

Between 30 May and 3 June 2018 the world’s best FIFA18 competitors will converge on the storied footballing city of Amsterdam to compete in the FIFA eWorld Cup Global Series Playoffs to determine who will qualify for the FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Final which is set to take place later in 2018.

20-year old Julio “Beast” Bianchi from Cape Town is one of only three South Africans who has qualified to compete in the FIFA eWorld Cup Global Series Playoffs.

Bianchi, a professional FIFA18 player for Goliath Gaming, will join the world’s best FIFA 18 competitors who will converge on the storied footballing city of Amsterdam between 30 May and 3 June 2018 to determine who will qualify for the FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Final which is set to take place later in 2018.

Bianchi is one of 128 players (64 each on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) from around the world who will enter the Playoffs—but only 16 from each console will move onto the Grand Final. The Playoffs will take place in Amsterdam from 28-30 May 2018 and continue 1-3 June 2018.

Bianchi first found his passion for football at the age seven.

He competed in various tournaments through the years and also represented South Africa at a football tournament in Norway at age 12. During this time, his love for the game turned from real-life to gaming. He started playing FIFA from about 8 years old.

“I was an average player when I started out, but as time went on, I played against better players, put in more hours behind the scenes in an attempt to get better. I improved every day. I started winning against every one. I received a lot of compliments and I was the best amongst all my friends and other FIFA players. I started playing online and gave it a try. I was doing pretty well, and that is when I decided to give it a real shot and I believed that I could do it and today I’m on that path to (hopefully) becoming the best FIFA player in SA – and hopefully in the world, someday. Those are the goals I have set for myself”.

Bianchi is currently a first year Accounting student at Cape Peninsula University of Technology and has to balance competitive play and training with his studies. He says it is all about proper planning and he makes sure not to procrastinate.

“I know I’m a fighter. I thrive under pressure. And I expect a lot from myself. So I try to plan ahead and find that balance in my life where I am capable of producing the best in everything I do, consistently. To be the best you need to practice harder than most, Beast says his preparation is less about focusing on his opponents and more about improving his own skill. I don’t have a unique way of preparing for tournaments. I focus on myself instead. I know what I’m capable of doing. I know my strong and weak points. I think about how I’m going to approach each game and whatever my opponents do, I try to work out a counter attack. I want to be 2 or 3 steps ahead – always.”

With his eyes firmly on the FIFA eWorld Cup Global Playoffs and ultimately being one of the best players in the world, he has kept focus on the international FIFA scene. Beast believes South Africans can thrive in the international esports realm and believes it is just a matter of time before a local player lifts an international trophy…