FIFA is as big as it gets when it comes to eSports, and the video game reels in millions of competitive gamers. Only the finest make it to the top of the ranks though, and the aptly-named FIFA eWorld Cup is where they come to battle it out. As it so happens, one of the world’s finest is a Maltese gamer who knows he has what it takes to be the very best.

“I give you my word I’m going to raise hell like no one’s ever raised it before,” Kurt Tweeted out earlier this week as he prepared to fly to London for the eSports Grand Final. Fenech’s confidence is contagious, and he’s even been called “the Zlatan Ibrahimovic of FIFA Gamers”. And to be very honest, if you read his Tweets and look at his record, it’s very easy to see where that comparison stems from.

Fenech’s console of choice is the X Box One, which is one half of the FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Finals. Joining 15 other X Box finalists (alongside 16 others on the PlayStation 4 side), Kurt will be looking to lift the trophy on Saturday afternoon, and with just over 24 hours to go, he’s raising hell.

At the time of writing, Fenech, better known by his alias kurt0411, is ranked as the number one player in his category, and his lead is only increasing as time goes by. If he continues this awesome streak, Fenech stands to be crowned the undisputed FIFA 18 World Champion… along with winning a cool $250,000.

Matching up against the best players in the world, from Brazilians to Welsh, Kurt has been decimating his competition, at times even winning by ridiculous margins like 8-2 and 6-1.

“I’ve broken my phone, damaged by controller and feel like I’ve ran an Iron Man, but I’m goddamn through to the knock-outs,” he Tweeted out on Thursday afternoon. “That trophy is way too beautiful to end up in anyone else’s hands. Let’s get it.”

“World’s Best” isn’t something that is easily thrown around, but Fenech very confidently (and very regularly) uses it describe himself. He started off 2018 ranking ninth in Europe, tied with the five players before him with a staggering 157 wins.

Fenech has been making waves for quite some time now. Back in 2016, and then still 21 years old, the Maltese gamer had set his sights on turning pro.

“I started to play more and more, and it became apparent that I was pretty good at it,” he had told TimesofMalta.com of his early days playing FIFA 99 against his father. Over a decade later, his skills have evolved at a crazy rate.

With six wins and only one loss, Kurt’s 24 goal difference lead with 18 points has him currently ranked as first not just in his Group A, but also in the entire tournament.

An Inter Milan supporter who once Tweeted out that his favourite club should sign him to match Juventus signing Ronaldo, Fenech is as close as it gets to taking home the trophy, the honour, and the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

With an overall prize pot of $400,000 the FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Finals are serious business.

The weekend competition reserves the right to conduct doping controls on gamers during the tournament, along with having strict rules on match manipulation and a Code of Ethics. For these hardcore players, FIFA is clearly more than just a video game you switch on when you’re bored or you have mates around.

The FIFA eWorld Cup qualification period started all the way back in November 2017, and the final kickoff goes down tomorrow at the 02 in London. You can stream that match – and every match leading up to the big moment – on the tournament’s official website.

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David Grech Urpani

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).