The crème de la crème of competitive FIFA were officially presented at the FIFA eWorld Cup™ Welcome Night and were surprised by an English Premier League star making a special appearance. On the eve of the game’s marquee event, the 32 players – 16 on PlayStation and 16 on Xbox – gathered at The O2 in London ahead of the season’s curtain-closer.

Over three days they will battle for the right to get their hands on the eWorld Cup trophy, win an exclusive trip to The Best FIFA Football Awards, bag a life-changing USD 250,000 cash prize and the prestige of being the EA SPORTS FIFA 19 World Champion.

Suited and booted, the players got an exclusive glimpse of the stunning surroundings at the iconic arena in the British capital before hosts Spencer 'Spencer FC' Owen and Layla Anna-Lee kicked off proceedings at the welcome gathering.

Reigning champion 'MsDossary' carried the trophy on stage in front of the watching contestants before a special guest made a surprise appearance. Manchester United's Aaron Wan-Bissaka, a keen follower of EA SPORTS FIFA, took to the stage to a warm reception before posing for pictures with each of the four groups of players that were being presented.

“I’ve enjoyed it so far, pre-season has been going well. I want to improve and add goals to my tally," said Wan-Bissaka, who signed a five-year contract with United after joining from Crystal Palace at the end of June. "I haven’t played so many [team-mates on FIFA] but the last time I was in the England camp, Tammy Abraham gave me a good challenge.

“I’m excited to be here [at The O2 in London]," he continued. "It’s a big event. Everyone seems prepared and ready and everything looks amazing," he said, before tipping fellow countryman 'Tekkz' to take home the title.

Also in attendance were well-known names within the FIFA community such as resident analyst Mike La Belle and commentator duos Richard Buckley and Brandon Smith, and Mark 'Onset' Hatcher and Dan Gaskin. FIFA.com was with them ahead of the action-filled three-day event.

"This year of competitive FIFA has been unrivalled. We’ve never seen an action-packed year like it - not just in terms of the events, but the amount of new prestigious events. The eChampions League was huge, so was the eNations Cup. The eWorld Cup is getting bigger every time and we’re now having national leagues getting involved – the ePremier League, for example. The ecosystem of competitive FIFA is bigger than ever. There’s so many opportunities for these players and it’s been my most enjoyable year."

"In my opinion, there are four clear favourites. 'MsDossary', last year’s champion. 'Tekkz', the most dominant FIFA player this season hands down. Then on PlayStation, can anyone beat 'Nicolas99fc'? He won back-to-back Playoffs and was undefeated in both those runs which has never been done before. Can he replicate that form from two weeks ago at the Playoffs? For the fourth, I would say ‘LevVinken’. He keeps getting better and better and he’s knocking on the door. But with all that being said, that’s four out of the 32 players. There’s a chance an underdog is going to make a run."

"The fact the eWorld Cup is about to be broadcast in six languages for the first time is massive. It just shows the global scale and appeal that FIFA eSports has. We’ve been involved in different eSports and no other sport in my opinion has the global reach that FIFA and eFootball do across the globe. It’s a fantastic indication about the level of interest, the level of intrigue and just how big the FIFA eSports scene can be."

"Fans watching the Grand Final can expect to see rivalries come to an end and perhaps new rivalries developing. 'Tekkz' versus 'MsDossary' has been building throughout the entire season about who is the best competitive FIFA player this year. Are we going to see 'MsDossary' pick up a second world title? He would join just two other players in doing so and would also add a new record by winning back-to-back titles - no-one else has done it. Expect to see plenty of passion, Mark yelling a lot and me getting excited."

"The three words I’d use to describe this year’s eWorld Cup are tense, dramatic and fun. 'Fun' is the word that a lot of people forget to use regarding FIFA. Yes, it’s people’s jobs, it’s people’s livelihood. But if you’re not enjoying the game, it’s simply not for you. You have to enjoy what you’re doing. The best footballers in the world love what they’re doing on the pitch. The best FIFA players need to enjoy playing the game and have fun at the Grand Final."

"We always talk about the beginning of the season. You go back to the end of October, that was the first competitive event of the year. For myself, Richard and a number of players, it’s all about August’s Grand Final. It really is the highlight of the season. Spectators will be coming to the arena on Sunday. There’s going to be professional footballers there and influencers from all over the world. For this weekend, it’s all about FIFA, it’s all about FIFA eSports. The whole world is watching this eSport and for me, it’s such a special weekend that I never forget."