FIFA Interactive World Cup the pinnacle of FIFA gaming, says David Bytheway
By Patrick Surlis
Last Updated: 20/10/16 1:37pm
The FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) is "the pinnacle" of the FIFA gaming calendar, according to former vice-champion David Bytheway.
Thirty-two of the world's best FIFA gamers met in New York City on Monday for the opening day of FIWC 2016, a competition to crown the planet's best player.
Bytheway represented England in 2014, and told Sky Sports the pressure on competitors will be "immense" as the tournament reaches the Grand Final on Tuesday, which you can see live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 10pm.
"The nerves you feel when you are playing you just can't describe," Bytheway said. "I barely slept the night before because you are just so nervous.
"You are officially one of the best players in the world but you don't want to be one of the best, you want to be No 1. When it comes down to the Grand Final, the amount of pressure on these guys is just immense.
"This tournament is the pinnacle, after all. If you speak to any professional FIFA player, or any FIFA player, they will want to qualify for FIWC. It's not just the tournament itself either, it's the experiences you get as part of it. If you win the competition you get to go to the Ballon d'Or, and that's just priceless.
"I'm grateful Sky Sports has taken the first step to broadcast the games. It's done elsewhere in the world but in the UK we've been waiting for this to happen and it's massive for the sport."
The growing popularity of tournament gaming is one part of the rise of eSports, but FIFA streaming, when viewers tune in online to watch personalities play, is also attracting more fans.
Professional streamer Edwin Castro (Castro1021) streams his FIFA games on Twitch.tv to an audience of thousands, and speaking to Sky Sports, gave us some advice on the top teams to select.
"I'd go with Brazil with the next best probably being Germany," Castro said. "They are a really good, solid team that doesn't have many weaknesses.
"You have Thomas Muller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and a bunch of strong players who can knock their opponents off the ball, which is especially good when you're playing faster, smaller players.
"But splitting the two teams is Neymar - he is just a huge plus on FIFA 16. He has five-star skill moves and they can be key if you work them to your advantage. Pace and skill are so important to success.
"You need to cut out mistakes too, because mistakes equal goals. When I'm playing, I try to use my opponent's game-plan to my advantage. If he's targeting the wings, I make him cut inside, for example. That can be the difference at the highest level."
You can watch the FIWC semi-finals and final live on Tuesday from 10pm on Sky Sports 1 HD and SkySports.com
