Abdulaziz ‘A8drafwz’ Alshehri is one of the best FIFA players of the world. Take a look to his interview now that eSports and FIFA 17 Champions Series are becoming more and more popular.
Abdulaziz ‘A8drafwz’ Alshehri Interview
Abdulaziz Alshehri boasts one of the most impressive resumes in his region. The man known as MrD0ne alone is a FIFA World Champion, a four-time Saudi Arabia Champion, a three-time Middle East Champion and a one-time Asia Champion.
Abdulaziz “A8drAfwz” Alshehri is no stranger to the bright lights. It may have taken three years of trying to win on a big stage, but the Jeddah, Saudi Arabia native achieved that goal in 2015, capturing the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) in Munich with Bayern star David Alaba in attendance. “It was like a dream come true,” he said. How did he make his breakthrough? By adhering to a simple motto.
“Be patient,” Alshehri said in an interview. “Everything in life takes time.”
It didn’t always look good in that tournament for Alshehri, especially in the quarterfinal when his Portugal side lost Cristiano Ronaldo to injury. But he persevered with strong play throughout the match, and defeated France’s Julien “Julianoo” Dassonville in the final to shock a European-heavy field.
For those that did their homework, however, Alshehri’s victory should not have come as such a surprise. He made it to the quarterfinals at the Dubai FIWC 2012 and was a semi-finalist in Madrid in 2013. Now the 25-year-old hopes to make another statement at the Rest of The World Regional Finals. “I’m confident, and I’ll do my very best in Sydney,” he said. “Winning or losing is something I can’t control, but what I can do is give my best.”
Alshehri believes strongly in the mental aspect of the game. It’s what’s he thinks has separated him from the rest of the pack on a consistent basis. “People have different styles, but it’s about how you prepare yourself mentally to help you apply your playing style in the game,” he said. “People sometimes find it hard to play their usual style because of their lack of mental concentration.”
His performance in Australia is sure to be closely tracked by his compatriots in Saudi Arabia. The FIFA franchise is extremely popular in the kingdom. “We have a big tournament for FIFA that has more than 3,000 participants,” said Alshehri. “I would say Saudi Arabia has the biggest community for FIFA in the Middle East.”
That passion for the game has coincided with the spectacular rise of Abdulaziz’s social media accounts, including Twitter and YouTube. “I’m aiming for 100,000 Twitter followers [at the end of] 2017,” he said, while currently sitting at over 72,000. “Twitter is a very helpful way to communicate with my followers. I need their support and always feel much more motivated when I see their tweets. People love to see me playing FIFA, and YouTube gave me the chance to do that. By uploading videos or streaming my games, people get to know me more, and that’s how streaming grew my fan base.”
A unique opportunity lies ahead of Alshehri. While Europe serves as a FIFA hotbed, the Middle East is not far behind. A significant result at Sydney could pave the way for more players of that region making inroads into FIFA competitive gaming. And Alshehri relishes his chance to be a trailblazer. “I want to be a role model for all Middle Eastern gamers, to be a FIFA ambassador, and I want to promote this lovely game in an interesting way for every player,” he said.
He’s not far away. Playing FIFA competitively has afforded opportunities to Alshehri that few have been able to experience. “I’ve always wanted to see what’s behind mountains and seas, and luckily I’ve had the chance to visit many beautiful countries, like the Maldives, Germany, France, and soon Australia,” he said. “I’ve had the chance to play FIFA beside the most beautiful beaches in the world.”
His story continues in Sydney, but even he’s not quite sure who the favourite will be when he gets there. “Everyone has the chance to win,” he said. “I’m a season player and I just started playing Ultimate Team this year, so I will be happy if I play well there.”