Portuguese esports organization Betclic Apogee is set to kick off its national EA SPORTS FC 26 season, bringing the momentum of strong international performances by its top players to the FPF Christmas Challenge.
The FPF Christmas Challenge 2025, considered the first major national title of the EA SPORTS FC 26 season in Portugal, commenced on November 28 and 29. The tournament is being held at a central sports complex near Lisbon and features 32 players vying for a prize pool of approximately $10,800 USD.
The team’s representation includes Diogo “Tuga810” Pombo and Tiago “Darkley11” Pires, both of whom have recently demonstrated significant skill on the international stage.
Pombo began his run in the FC Pro Open 26 in London with three wins out of five games, accumulating 9 points. He currently holds a top-three position in Group A, placing him directly in contention for a playoff spot.
Pires, making his debut in the same international competition, finished the first round with 4 points. He remains just two points shy of a qualification spot in what is described as one of the tournament’s most competitive groups.
Both players are scheduled to return to London in January for the decisive second round of group stages, where 12 playoff berths will be determined. Their international experience is expected to bolster Betclic Apogee’s quest for national dominance.
Betclic Apogee has four athletes participating in the national FPF Christmas Challenge: Diogo “Tuga810” Pombo in Group F, Tiago “Darkley11” Pires in Group H, and TiagoAraujo10 and RafaMonteiro09 sharing Group D. The team aims to secure top placements and affirm its standing in EA SPORTS FC 26.
Pombo’s first-round results in the FC Pro Open 26 Group A included victories of 4-2 against lukas_official11, 6-2 against LJR Peixoto, and 5-3 against Tekkz. He faced defeats of 4-9 against Yaskow and 3-5 against Vejrgang.
Pires’s first-round performance in Group B saw a win of 8-4 against Er_Caccia and a 4-4 draw against Obrun2002. His losses were 2-8 against Emre Yilmaz, 5-6 against ManuBachoore, and 3-8 against Umut.
The entire FPF Christmas Challenge competition is being broadcast on the official Twitch Portugal channel. Betclic Apogee’s participation in the two-day event reinforces its leadership position across both national and international competitive esports.