In the final minutes of his opening Group C match against Manubachoore, with the score at 2-2, Vejrgang did something rather unusual. Instead of pressing ahead with one final attack to try and win the match, he intentionally retained the ball in an attempt to wind the clock down.

The move was, in many ways, a sign of the respect he has for the reigning world champion, but it also represented a level of maturity, as Vejrgang understood the importance of that point in the grand scheme of the group.

After Monday night's (December 11) Group C matches, he stated: "By far, me and [Manubachoore] are the best in the group, so I knew that, in the end, a draw would be fine.

"If I don't get out of the Group, it's not gonna be because of that game. Against Manubachoore, I played for 85 minutes [before settling for the draw]."

The result proved to be the perfect confidence-builder for what was to come, as the Dane would go on to win his next three matches (against seanldw, Abumakkah and AntoniniGabriel) in impressive fashion.

In previous years, the attack-minded RBLZ Gaming star might have tried to steal a late win against Manubachoore, but this time around, he shrewdly took the point - and looked to build upon it.

The new-found maturity in his play has many believing he could go all the way at the FC Pro Open - and lift his first individual international title. Judging by his confidence in interviews, Vejrgang believes he can too.

He said: "I've got ManuBachoore here [in Group C], he is a world champion. But I still...like...am better than him."

There is even a growing perception that, due to the nature of his attacking gameplay, combined with his bullet-proof confidence, opponents actually fear facing him.

When asked about the possibility of his Group C rivals fearing him, he replied: "I'm not surprised about that, in every sport you want to play the best, but in the end you have to beat everyone to win the tournament."

Vejrgang also had a message for those who have questioned his mentality in the past. Indeed, despite being one of the world's most talented esports players, the 17-year-old has yet to win an individual international title.

Team success arrived earlier this year, as he - alongside FC Pro Open rival Umut - won the Club World Cup for RBLZ Gaming. Nevertheless, many now expect him to take the next step individually after several near misses in global tournaments.

"It's quite funny that people are saying I have no mentality", he said on Monday, referring to his detractors in the past.

"[Tonight] I played the first match - a draw - and then I won my next three.

"That's the mentality you need at this level, I would hope to win every game."

Emerging from the first four matches of Group C with 10 points to his name is no mean feat. All of Monday's competitors had to deal with a new patch update to FC 24, as well as Icon-only squads.

For Vejrgang, a further complication was having to adapt to a new formation. Opting to deploy his squad in a 4-3-2-1 (changed from 4-4-1-1) instead of his customary 4-4-2, it was a departure that represented some risk.

And yet, the more he used the formation, the better he seemed to get - ending Monday night with a 9-3 win against AntoniniGabriel.

Pressed on whether this new formation is here to stay, the group leader was unusually coy, saying: "Wait and see for next time."