Danish teen beats British rival to win PlayStation World Cup

A Danish teenager has claimed the virtual World Cup by beating his British rival in the final of the online PlayStation gaming competition, overcoming a field of almost two million entrants.

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Published: 9:23pm, 4 Jul 2014

Brazilian football legend Ronaldo (right) applauds after giving champion August Rosenmeier from Denmark, his trophy for winning the Grand Finale of the interactive virtual World Cup at Morro da Urca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: AFP

A Danish teenager has claimed the virtual World Cup by beating his British rival in the final of the online PlayStation gaming competition, overcoming a field of almost two million entrants.

Players August Rosenmeier (left) from Denmark, and David Bytheway from England, compete in the final of the Grand Finale of the interactive virtual World Cup. Photo: AFP

While his nation did not make it to the real World Cup, 18-year-old August Rosenmeier did his bit for Danish pride by beating Britain's David Bytheway 3-1 on Thursday to win the Fifa Interactive World Cup (FIWC).

The FIWC, which is played exclusively with EA Sports' FIFA 14 game and on a Sony PlayStation 3, has grown from 28,000 entrants in the inaugural tournament in 2004 to a huge online field in 2014.

Rosenmeier claimed a US$20,000 first prize for his dedication, saying he "trains" for four to six hours per day.

Far from the image of gamers being glued to screens in darkened rooms, Thursday's final had a glamorous setting, halfway up the Sugarloaf Mountain, a famous Rio tourist destination.