FC Dallas has named Ihab “i9ibbs” Abualneel following Alan “AlanAvi” Avila’s move across Frisco to Jerry Jones’ Complexity Gaming.
Another local player with FC Dallas connections, Abualneel is an FC Dallas fan living in McKinney. i9ibbs has been a top-100 player on the FIFA franchise’s FIFA Ultimate Team Weekend League over the past three editions of the game and has several tournament wins.
eMLS pits players representing MLS teams against each other using teams assembled by the players on the Playstation 4 version of FIFA 20. The 23-player rosters must feature at least three MLS players on the field at all times, including two players from the team they represent. The National Soccer Hall of Fame at Toyota Stadium hosted eMLS Series Two last year, where AlanAvi reached the semi-final. The former FC Dallas youth player also finished fourth in both editions of the eMLS Cup.
In 2020 eMLS heads to Philadelphia, Portland, and Austin. Series One takes place on January 10 in Philadelphia, then takes in the Rose City on February 15 for Series Two. The top 11 players and a last chance qualifier will take part in eMLS Cup beginning March 21 at SXSW. That will also serve as a qualifier for the FIFA Global Series.
AlanAvi had served as the first eMLS player for FC Dallas, earning the semi-final spots in addition to a quarter-final appearance at the eChampions League. In moving to Complexity, he is the face of the eSports team’s FIFA division as its only local player.
Gina Miller, Vice President of Media and Communications, described the signing as demonstrating the club’s ethos in naming a player who has an existing connection to FC Dallas. Abualneel is a fan of the team going back to the Dallas Burn days and even met his wife at the 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup final. Being a local player and fan will provide the 26-year-old’s fellow FC Dallas fans with plenty to cheer for through eMLS competition in 2020.