The eagerly-anticipated FIFA eWorld Cup 2019™ is set to kick off on Friday 2 August at The O2 in London, with the EA SPORTS FIFA 19 World Champion set to be proclaimed.

After a FIFA 19 season packed with excitement, drama and new major tournaments, the campaign reaches its climax with the marquee event: the Grand Final. As thirty-two of the world's leading players vie for the right to be named the world's best, and claim a staggering USD 250,000 cash prize and an exclusive trip to The Best FIFA Football Awards, we round up ten things you need to know ahead of the action.

After the culmination of the FIFA 19 Global Series Playoffs, the top thirty-two FIFA 19 players – from ‘Tekkz and ‘MsDossary’ to ‘Nicolas99fc’ and ‘Maestro’ will vie for the right to be called the FIFA 19 World Champion. The FIFA eWorld Cup 2019 will act as the curtain-closer to a historic season which witnessed the introduction of tournaments such as the FIFA eNations Cup and the eChampions League.

A major event calls for a major setting. One of the world’s most popular music and entertainment arenas, The O2 in London will once again play host to the Grand Final on 2-4 August. In the British capital during the event? You can watch all the action unfold live by buying a ticket to the final day! More here.

Starting off with four groups of eight, the first round will see a set of two-leg matches with the best four players from each group progressing to the Round of 16. After the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, which will determine the best PlayStation and the best Xbox player respectively, the final two remaining players will go head-to-head for the title of EA SPORTS FIFA 19 World Champion.

The prestige of global glory is not the only thing on the line at The O2 in London. A record prize pool of USD 500,000 USD is up for grabs, a USD 100,000 increase on last year’s pot, with the winner bagging a life-changing USD 250,000 as well as a trip to The Best FIFA Football Awards.

No-one in competitive FIFA has won back-to-back world titles. Can ‘MsDossary’ break that holders hoodoo? The Saudi Arabian has sights on retaining the crown he won in The O2 in London last year and would make history by doing so. "I want more and more," he said back in April, in the below interview. "I really want to go back and win it again this year because no-one has done back-to-back world championships. I’m looking forward to it."

Could the FIFA eWorld Cup 2019 be the next chapter in the rivalry between ‘Tekkz’ and ‘MsDossary’? Both have clashed this season in attempt to assert their status as Xbox’s leading player. With the Englishman currently ranked No1 and the Saudia Arabian the reigning champion, a potential clash in the knockouts between the two has all the makings of a legendary match.

More new ground will be broken at the FIFA eWorld Cup with the event being streamed in six languages: English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Arabic. You can watch the three-day event live via a number of streaming options online - including right here on FIFA.com!

Fifteen countries from five continents will be present at The O2 in London, giving the competition a truly global feel. The most represented nation at the Grand Final is Germany – the same as last year's eWorld Cup – with six competitors. Meanwhile, five contenders hail from Brazil, bringing the total number of South Americans to seven.

At a venue synonymous with music, a FIFA and Mixtape Madness collaboration will see four emerging hip-hop artists go head-to-head on stage on the final day. One winner will be crowned the FIFA Head 2 Head Freestyle Champion 2019 ahead of the FIFA 19 showpiece decider.

Want to get an exclusive look at EA SPORTS FIFA 20 before everyone else? Fans watching at The O2 in London will be treated to a preview of FIFA 20 and get the opportunity to play an early version of the yet-to-be-release game on site. Get to grips with the game the pros – and millions of others around the world – will be playing soon.