There’s four good reasons you need to watch the FIFA E-League competition this year – Mouad Zwed, Marcus Gomes, Jamie O’Doherty and Dylan Campbell.

Some of this year’s competitors are not only accomplished esports players, but Australian on-field soccer stars who love both the virtual and physical sport. And they all share the same motivation – to be the best at what they do.

Mouad Zwed, representing Melbourne Victory, is a National Premier League player, who’s competed with a variety of Australian soccer clubs and has been in the E-League since its debut in 2018. Marcus Gomes (Melbourne City) is a two-time FIFA E-League World Cup Grand Finalist who was also a Football Australia eNational rep. Jamie O’Doherty (Sydney FC) is no stranger to soccer on and off the field, with his older brother Jordan playing in the A-League. And Dylan Campbell, is currently the number one FIFA E-League player in the country, representing Western United.

The FIFA E-League, open to Australia and New Zealand, is bigger and better this year, produced by Disorder Media House (DMH) and brought to you by eGen Esports and the A-Leagues. For the first time in the competition’s history, the players will be competing for a prize pool totalling $10k AUD with the opportunity to represent their A-League Club and country at the Global Playoffs.

As eFIFA commentator Nate Patrick rightly pointed out:

”We have so many celebs and superstars in this year’s competition who you’ve either seen playing on field or streaming online, so here’s your chance to watch them all in one action-packed comp at the Grand Finals on May 25 and 28.”

Talent will showcase the tournament from behind the desk at the DMH studio based in Melbourne, with live production to occur during the finals.

We asked this year’s top players to reveal what fans can hope to see and what it is that makes FIFA 22 one not to miss:

What do you love about football – both on and off the field?

• Mouad: I’ve been playing football since I started walking, so it’s something I’m very passionate about. My video game passion also started at an early age. So, when you combine both and make a football video game, it’s something I got attached to. It’s an environment I grew up in and can’t see myself stopping anytime soon even if I stop playing competitively/professionally.
• Marcus: I love watching football due to all the different aspects involved, both from an individual and team perspective. I especially enjoy the tactical side of the game and how each manager tries to outsmart their opponent’s ideas.
• Jamie: I love the ability of both soccer and FIFA to bring people together from all different corners of the globe with different cultural backgrounds who all share the same passion.
• Dylan: From a young age I always played football and had an interest in gaming, so it was always natural for the two to collide. Being able to create your ultimate team, play with friends, and having a competitive aspect to it, the game had everything I needed to stay invested.

What motivated you to enter FIFA E-League?

• Mouad: Just before E-League Season 1 was created, I ripped my ACL playing football so I had a lot of free time on my hands during recovery. I was playing a lot of online FIFA alongside Mitch Austin (ex Melbourne Victory Footballer at the time). We both had the same injury, so it kind of bonded us together. Melbourne Victory were looking for a second competitor to represent the club alongside Mitch, so he recommended me and I’ve been representing the club every season ever since.
• Dylan: When I initially entered the competitive FIFA ecosystem, my motivation was derived from wanting to prove others wrong. Since February 2021, however, after narrowly losing a Grand Final of a major competition in penalties, that has definitely shifted towards intrinsic motivation. Falling at the final hurdle drove me to work a lot harder on the mechanical and mental side of FIFA for the month following that competition and has continued to this day.
• Jamie: This year is my fifth season in the E-League. When I started out in the inaugural season, FIFA was just a hobby for me and now it’s turned into a full-time job so that’s why I’m still competing.
• Marcus: I have participated in E-League Australia since its first season in FIFA18, so I’m once again honoured to be representing Melbourne City FC in the league.

What’s your training mantra – on or off the field?

• Marcus: I think reviewing past games and analysing what went right/wrong and discussing ways on how to improve is important. Athletes will always review footage of their past performances and this is also a big component involved with competing in esports.
• Jamie: The more hours you put in and focus, you improve the weaknesses in your game and that’s the difference to taking it to the next level.
• Dylan: In the week leading up to a competition, I’ll play quite a lot of practice-friendly matches against the other competitors, particularly with my teammate. We’ll both review the games once complete with our coach, nitpick anything that requires improvement and repeat the process until I’m satisfied with how I’m playing.
• Mouad: Putting the time in. If you don’t do enough training sessions before a game you most likely won’t perform well. Also, not putting in the time to adapt to a new FIFA game every year, you won’t be able to compete at the highest level. The mental preparation is also important. Sleeping well and eating right only increases your chances of performing well either on a physical or virtual pitch.

What will spectators get out of watching the finals?

• Jamie: For the spectators who play FIFA and understand how hard it can be to play the game, I think they’ll enjoy the best talent that the Australian FIFA scene has to show and for spectators who maybe don’t know as much about FIFA, I think they might be impressed to see how well FIFA Esports can be produced with huge prizes on the line and want to learn more about it.
• Marcus: Spectators will be able to enjoy that live LAN esports experience, which is something that makes competitive FIFA so much better. I’m sure the games will be tense, so I can imagine the atmosphere will match the intensity. Also, I can assume that many players who don’t make the grand finals will still attend the LAN, so you’ll have an opportunity to meet them.
• Mouad: Up until Season 3 we had LAN events. It was an incredible atmosphere during the finals. A lot of spectators come to either support a friend or a family member so it’s a pretty exciting competition. There are always actions and drama happening every game. It’s like watching your favourite football club play at a stadium. Lots of passion and unexpected twists and turns.
• Dylan: The finals will be a great watch, whether spectators are invested in competitive FIFA or if they have a love for football. FIFA is a game that growing up for many is a social event, so it’s familiar to a large proportion of football fans and very closely aligned with the actual sport. Particularly for the supporters of those clubs who end up participating in the final, it’ll be another chance at a title for A-League clubs.

The E-League 2022 competition will be broadcast live on the E-League’s official Twitch account at https://www.twitch.tv/eleagueaustralia/