Pro FIFA players reveal the staggering amount of money they make from playing
Being paid to play FIFA sounds like an absolute dream but for may professional Esports players, it's their reality.
Esports has soared to extraordinary heights in recent years, with so much prize money involved in the competitive tournaments.
And the FIFA scene is one that is absolutely thriving, with a slew of players raking in big bucks just from playing the game for a living.
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Dutchman 'EmreYilmazz' is the top dog at the moment and according to esportsearnings, he has made a cool $133,250.00 from seven tournaments - the largest being a massive $75,000 prize for winning the eChampions League last month.
But even as you go lower down the rankings, many players are still collecting serious funds from doing what all of us do on the regular for free.
FIFA and esports commentator asked a number of stars how much they typically make from their exploits and the lowest sum given was $70,000 - with the highest coming in at $200,000.
And it's worth remembering that this is not including sponsorships and other income streams. In 2021, Tom Leese, who has previously held the No.1 ranking spot, moved from Hashtag United to EXCEL for a six-figure transfer fee in a groundbreaking move.
Leese started playing professionally for the FUTWiz Academy when he was 17 and after electing against going university, he won the ePremier League representing Watford in 2020 and scooped a £20,000 prize.
"I went to a tournament and won some prize money there," he told SPORTbible.
"I made an agreement with my mum that if I can do my A-Levels to the highest level and take school seriously for the rest of the year, I can try and make the climb into full-time FIFA when I finish.
"It was just making sure I had some grades and education behind me if it goes wrong. They were pretty supportive, a bit confused - I had to explain the whole concept of what was going on as it's very new to everyone.
"I didn't expect my parents to fully understand but they supported me all the way and said, 'if you're going to try something like this, it's best to do it when you're young'.
"I'm glad they let me do it because it's been a good decision."
Leese, who has also represented England, recently announced he had become a free agent after EXCEL decided to move their team down a "different route".
Josh Lawless