CHARLOTTE, NC (Monday, November 8, 2021) – Charlotte FC today announced Khaled Ali has joined the Club as its first-ever eMLS player and will compete in the 2022 eMLS season.
Ali, who currently competes under the gamertag kmali97, broke out in the competitive FIFA scene in 2021, finishing the year, based on EA SPORTS_™ FIFA regional leaderboards, as the 13th best PS4 player in the United States. He also ranked 27th across all of North America during the same timeframe.
“We’re very excited to have Khaled join Charlotte FC as the Club’s first eMLS player,” said Club President Nick Kelly. “It was important for us to identify a player who can excel at the highest level of competitive gaming while also bringing a passion for soccer in the Carolinas. eMLS is a valuable part of the global soccer ecosystem and it was vital for us to be represented during the competitive calendar for 2022 and beyond.”
Ali, who was born in New York but is from Palestinian descent, grew up in Jordan where he found a love for soccer at an early age. He moved back to the United States to attend college at North Carolina State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology.
While in Raleigh, he began focusing on excelling in EA SPORTS™ FIFA during the pandemic, leading to his breakout 2021 season.
“It’s been a dream of mine to play_ EA SPORTS_™ FIFA at the professional level and I look forward to competing for Charlotte FC in the upcoming eMLS season,” said Ali. “Being able to represent the Carolinas, the place I call home in the United States, is an incredible honor. This is an exciting chance for me to show my skills to a wider audience and I hope to bring as much success as possible home to our amazing fans.”
eMLS has been a premier North American eSports league since its launch in 2018. Players representing clubs from across Major League Soccer compete in a series of three tournaments – League Series One, League Series Two, and eMLS Cup – to crown a champion.
Depending on performance in both eMLS and general online EA SPORTS™ FIFA competition, players can qualify for regional Global Series Playoffs with the ultimate goal of reaching the FIFAe World Cup and being crowned the best EA SPORTS™ FIFA player in the world.
