If you have ever wondered if professional football players have an edge when it comes to playing footy-themed video games at the competitive level in some of today’s biggest eSports events, you’re not alone.
Let’s dive straight in to discover if pro footballers do indeed have a competitive edge over their rivals who aren’t professional players.
Is it true that pro football players have an edge over their eSports opponents who aren’t professional players?
Yes and no. For example, at the end of the day, it all boils down to how quick they are with their fingers at reacting to what’s happening on the screen in front of them. In other words, they must be good video gamers.
During training and match day, most footballers don’t use their fingers to play unless they are the goalkeeper, that is.
Therefore, being a goalie who is nimble with their hands and fingers will have obvious advantages when playing football-themed video games like EA FC 25.
It’s also true that professional footballers have a slight advantage over their rivals when playing in football eSports competitions because of the quick decision-making and strategic thinking skills they must have for their jobs as professional footballers.
Pro athletes also have above-average hand-eye coordination skills, which massively helps when playing video games.
Real Life Sports Trumps e-Sportes Every Time
They also know the ins and outs of the game more than their eSports competitors, who don’t necessarily play, watch, or have an active interest in football outside the world of professional video gaming.
In other words, you could say that football players (and any other pro sports stars) will always have a slight advantage over their eSports opponents, especially if their opponents aren’t considered ‘sporty’ or athletic, but this slight edge still doesn’t always guarantee they will win, just like in real life football/sporting events.
For example, the underdogs with long odds sometimes upset the odds and beat the favourites. Therefore, betting on the favourite for any sporting event in the world (including eSports events) doesn’t always guarantee a return on your initial stake.
Statistically speaking, though, the favourites with the lowest odds and highest implied probability rates should always win. However, it just doesn’t always work out this way.
This is why you should always research an upcoming sporting event and stay on top of the latest news and gossip before placing a wager on any fully licensed and regulated Trustly betting sites, as these platforms offer secure transactions and fast withdrawals, ensuring a smooth betting experience.
If you decide to bet on any upcoming football-themed eSports competitions, you might want to pay close attention to who’s actually playing on those teams because it can help you place far more strategic bets.
Some of the teams might be backed by or have famous footballers actually on the teams, such as Jesse Lingard, David Beckham, Sergio Aguero, David de Gea, Ruud Gullit, Virgil Van Dyke, Neymar, Bruno Fernandes, Juan Mata, Diogo Jota, Casemiro, or Antoine Griezmann, to name a few.
In other words, these teams might be worth backing just because they have pro (or ex-pro) footballers in the lineup.
Major upcoming eSports tournaments in 2025
If you are keen on watching an eSports tournament this year, either live or on-demand, here are some of the biggest events that you might like to add to your diary or calendar.
The five biggest upcoming eSports competitions in 2025 are the following:
- When: October to November 2025. Teams competing: 17. Where: China. Competition: League of Legends (LoL) Worlds 2025
- When: September 4 – 10, 2025. Teams competing: 18 of the world’s top-ranked Dota 2 teams. Where: Singapore or Seattle. Competition: The International 2025
- When: September 1 – October 1, 2025. Teams competing: 16 top-ranked teams from several global regions. Where: Paris, France. Competition: Valorant Champions 2024
- When: October to November 2025. Teams competing: 100 players each in Solo and Duo categories. Where: Los Angeles, United States. Competition: Fortnite World Cup 2025
- When: December 2025. Teams competing: 32 teams from various major global regions. Where: South Korea. Competition: PUBG Global Championship 2025
These iconic eSports competitions will have some huge prize pools up for grabs, ranging from just a couple of million dollars up to $10 million or more, and players will also be competing for leaderboard points and improving their global ranking positions.
Some of these hotly anticipated events will be streamed live on Twitch or YouTube, plus several major online sportsbooks should also be streaming them live, which is great for in-play betting because you can react in real time as the action unfolds in front of your eyes.
Final thoughts
Although football-themed eSports events may not be as popular as several other major eSports events that involve games like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Rocket League, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Valorant, Starcraft, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), they are becoming more popular as people look for new competitive eSports events to watch and participate in.
Don’t forget that some of the biggest tournaments to watch this year are the FC Pro Open, the FC Pro Leagues, and the FC Pro World Championships.