Răzvan “RvPLegend” Puiu entered the 2026 FC Pro World Championship ranked 30th. He left as the first Romanian player to win the title, beating Germany’s Levy “levyfinn” Rieck 6-5 in a final that remained undecided until the last seconds.
His victory was worth $250,000, but the route he took made the result particularly unusual. Both finalists had entered the main tournament through the Play-Ins. RvPLegend had advanced through his group on goal difference and then needed three consecutive playoff wins simply to reach the World Championship field.
Competitive football gaming shares its digital audience with streaming, fantasy leagues and online slots, but FC Pro asks players to sustain their decisions across an entire match. RvPLegend’s title run showed why. He survived tight group calculations, extra time, two penalty shootouts and a late comeback in the final before he could lift the trophy.
RvPLegend was almost eliminated in the Play-Ins
RvPLegend qualified for the Play-Ins after finishing second in the Europe East FC Pro 26 Open Cup. That result kept him in the season, although it placed several more matches between him and the main World Championship.
His Play-In group included levyfinn, the opponent he would eventually meet again in the final. The German finished second in the group, while RvPLegend took fourth place.
Only goal difference kept the Romanian in the competition. Had he conceded once more or failed to score in one of his earlier games, his campaign would have ended before the main event.
Fourth place also denied him the protection given to the leading players in each Play-In group. He had to enter the knockout route at its earliest point and win three successive matches to qualify.
The narrow escape affected how the rest of his tournament was viewed. RvPLegend was not an established favourite who had experienced one minor scare. He had reached the World Championship through the final available position and had already played several elimination matches before facing the seeded contenders.
The group stage proved he could trouble established players
Qualifying for the main event placed RvPLegend in a group with opponents carrying stronger rankings and more international recognition. His task was to finish inside the top two and earn a place in the knockout rounds.
A draw against Nicolás “nicolas99fc” Villalba was one of the first signs that his run could continue. The Argentine has spent years competing near the top of professional football gaming and understands how to control matches against less experienced opponents.
RvPLegend also secured important results against Gustavo “GugaFerraz” Ferraz, Ander “Neat” Tobal and João “Jafonso” Vasconcelos. Jafonso had previously won the Esports World Cup title, making him another difficult opponent for a player who had arrived through the Play-Ins.
The Romanian did not depend on one attacking routine. He could score quickly when space appeared, but he was also willing to keep possession and wait for an opponent to move a defender out of position.
That patience became more important as the tournament progressed. The knockout matches brought longer spells of pressure and fewer simple chances.
Penalties decided two of his hardest matches
RvPLegend defeated Umut “Umut” Gültekin before meeting GugaFerraz again. Winning the rematch took him into a much tighter contest with 17-year-old Alihan “Alihan” Hadzhi.
Their match finished 5-5 after extra time. RvPLegend then won the penalty shootout, surviving the first occasion when one missed input could have ended his tournament.
The semi-final against Nassim “Nassada” Dahman created a different problem. Nassada had just eliminated world number one Anders Vejrgang with an extraordinary 11-5 victory.
That score was the result that changed the tournament. Vejrgang was the player most expected to control the later rounds, while Nassada had demonstrated that he could punish even the strongest opponent repeatedly.
RvPLegend avoided the same fate, although he could not settle the semi-final during open play. Another shootout was required, with the Romanian winning 10-8 on penalties.
Winning consecutive knockout matches in that manner demanded more than attacking skill. Penalties in EA SPORTS FC involve reading tendencies, disguising direction and managing timing under pressure. Each player also knows that the opponent may have studied previous shootouts.
RvPLegend had already revealed some of his preferences against Alihan. He still found a way to win when Nassada had more recent evidence to analyse.
The final brought a Play-In rematch
Levyfinn had already faced RvPLegend during the preliminary stage and entered the final as the stronger player on paper. Their second meeting looked very different.
RvPLegend won an early penalty and used it to take control. He continued attacking rather than slowing the match after going ahead, reaching half-time with a 4-2 lead.
The advantage later grew to four goals. At that point, the title appeared to be settled. Levyfinn responded by increasing his pressure and committing more players to attacks.
Two late goals reduced the score to 6-5. What had looked like a comfortable victory became a final spell in which one mistake could force extra time.
RvPLegend changed his approach during those closing moments. He stopped searching for another high-risk attack and concentrated on protecting the ball, closing passing lanes and preventing levyfinn from creating one final clear chance.
The decision was significant because high-scoring competitive matches can encourage players to continue attacking even when the game state no longer requires it. RvPLegend recognised that another goal was less valuable than controlling the remaining seconds.
Vejrgang’s defeat opened the knockout bracket
Anders Vejrgang entered the competition as the leading player in the world rankings and one of the strongest candidates for the title. His 11-5 quarter-final defeat to Nassada removed the player most competitors would have wanted to avoid.
The result also reflected the volatility of top-level FC competition. Vejrgang’s record and technical level did not protect him once Nassada established a lead and continued converting chances.
Several recognised players exited earlier than expected, including nicolas99fc. Matías “Bonanno” Bonanno remained in contention and eventually secured third place by beating Nassada on penalties after a 6-6 draw following extra time.
Those results left a final between two competitors who had started in the Play-Ins. The qualification route had been designed to give players outside the direct World Championship places another opportunity. In 2026, it produced both finalists and the eventual champion.
The title changes how RvPLegend will be treated next season
RvPLegend will not enter his next major competition as an overlooked 30th-ranked player. Opponents now have a full tournament of footage showing how he builds attacks, defends narrow leads and approaches penalties.
That attention creates a new challenge. Tactical moves that surprised players in Paris may be recognised earlier, while his preferred finishes and passing patterns will receive closer analysis.
His world title also gives Romanian competitive football gaming a result it had never achieved before. RvPLegend has become the country’s first FC Pro world champion, having reached the trophy through the least secure route available.
The 6-5 victory in the final was the last step, but his campaign had nearly ended much earlier. He escaped the Play-In group on goal difference, survived three qualifying matches and won two knockout shootouts.
By the time levyfinn began his late comeback, RvPLegend had already spent most of the event playing with little room for error. Protecting a one-goal lead in the final was simply the last occasion on which he had to do it.