FUT Champions Cup January Preview

As we prepare for the FUT Champions Cup January in Bucharest, the third FIFA 19 Global Series major of the season, it's worth sifting through the Global Series leaderboards for the biggest takeaways from each console. While a few of the best FIFA 19 competitors in the world have separated themselves from the pack at nearly the halfway point of the season, others still have work to do to climb the ranks on the road to the FIFA eWorld Cup 2019. 

Any time the best players on the planet assemble for a FUT Champions Cup, it's a must-see event. Tune in to the FUT Champions Cup January, a three-day live tournament that runs from January 25 — January 27. You can watch all the action on EA SPORTS' FIFA 19 digital channels like Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also follow along on @EAFIFAesports on Twitter for video highlights, photos, news updates, and other content live from the event.

Rankings via fifa.gg on January 22, 2019.

PlayStation 4

Stefano “StefanoPinna” Pinna
The 2018 FIFA eWorld Cup runner-up, StefanoPinna has not backed down on his quest to return for another chance at a world championship. His No. 4 ranking in Global Series points on PlayStation 4 cements his status as a top contender heading into the next Bucharest event. 

Agge “AggeNorth” Rosenmeier
A competitive FIFA veteran, Agge is currently No. 7 in the world on the PlayStation 4 console rankings. He has a good chance to make a big move up in the standings with the likes of Nicolas “nicolas99fc” Villaba and Joksan “Joksan” Redona absent from the January FUT Champions Cup roster.

Fatih “M10Ustun” Üstun
The Denmark pro finished top-four at the PGL FIFA 19 Cup and top-12 at the December FUT Champions Cup in London. He recently cracked the top-10 in the PlayStation 4 rankings, moving up seven spots on the Global Series leaderboard after a strong performance at the Gfinity LQE this past weekend and will look to improve on his No. 8 PS4 ranking in Bucharest.

Tim “TheStrngeR” Katnawatos
The German competitor was defeated by Joksan in the PlayStation 4 Continental Cup Grand Final in Paris earlier this season, but he's done enough to remain in the top 10 in the standings on his console. He's truly a threat to skyrocket up the leaderboard if he can advance to the latter stages of the January FUT Champions Cup this weekend.

Gonçalo “RastaArtur” Pinto
Representing Portugal, RastaArtur is currently ranked No. 19 on PlayStation 4. He had top-16 finishes in the PS4 Continental Cup and the November FUT Champions Cup, plus a top-eight finish at the PGL FIFA 19 Cup. With a strong performance in Bucharest, he could easily jump into the top 10.

XBOX One

Donovan “F2Tekkz” Hunt
The 17-year-old is having himself a FIFA 19 Global Series season for the history books. Leading up to this weekend's January FUT Champions Cup, F2Tekkz has qualified for every single event so far this season and has already taken home two championship trophies: the November FUT Champions Cup and the PGL FIFA 19 CUP. He also placed second in the FUT Champions Cup December in London. Try to keep up. F2Tekkz is a threat to win it all this season and he's a favorite to win in Romania again this weekend. 

Mossad “MSDossary” Aldossary
The 2018 FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Champion, MSDossary's most recent win came at the FUT Champions Cup December in London where he beat nicolas99fc in the Grand Final. What's arguably more impressive is the fact that the reigning World Champion stands as the only competitor so far that has won an EA Major event in three consecutive seasons. While his “home” console remains XBox One, he's masterful on both sides of the sticks and may be the most feared live event competitor in the circuit aside from F2Tekkz.

Predro “M10 Resende” Soares
This Brazilian finished in the top-eight in last season's FIFA eWorld Cup and has a top-16 and top-eight finish under his belt in the first two FUT Champions Cups this season. He's coming off a console championship at London's Gfinity LQE in mid-January and will look to build upon that success in Bucharest this weekend. 

Nawid “GoalMachine” Noorzai
The Rogue eSports pro from Canada finished top-eight in the 2018 FIFA eWorld Cup and has had a strong start to the FIFA 19 Global Series. He was a semi-finalist in November's FUT Champions Cup in Bucharest, but managed just a top 32 finish in London's December FUT Champions Cup. GoalMachine made the Xbox One console final in this past weekend's Gfinity LQE in London but was eventually defeated by M10 Resende. The finish didn't hurt his Global Series ranking though, as he remains No. 4 in the world on XB1.

Dani “Ajax Dani” Hagebeuk
Another top-eight finisher in the 2018 FIFA eWorld Cup, Ajax Dani is one of the most under-the-radar threats in competitive FIFA. He was defeated by F2Tekkz in the November FUT Champions Cup Xbox One console final and finished top-14 in the PGL FIFA 19 Cup the following weekend. Now, he's back to compete in Bucharest again, as the No. 7 ranked XB1 player in the world.

–Matt Franciscovich (Follow Matt on Twitter @MattFranchise)

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