Facundo Cowen is the new champion of South America’s virtual premier league. The Argentine celebrated a special triumph against RBLZ pro ‘GuiBarros’ – thanks to the venue.
What applies in real football also applies on the virtual pitch: South America is one of the strongest regions in the world, both on the ball and on the controller, and is the scene of some of the most passionate rivalries in the scene. These include the eternal duel between Brazil and Argentina.
At the weekend, CONMEBOL eLibertadores, the South American counterpart to the eChampions League, took this duel to the extreme. Of the 16 participants in the final round, 12 came from the Copacabana. Four came from the country of the 2022 world champions to Sao Paulo, this year’s venue for the title decider.
Cowen dashes Brazilian dreams
However, the local fans were not allowed to celebrate. Facundo Cowen dashed hopes of a title on Brazilian home soil.
In the final, he beat RBLZ pro Guilherme Barrios 4-2, confirming his 5-4 victory over ‘GuiBarros’ in the group stage. On his way to the final, he also knocked two other Brazilians out of the tournament, World Cup participant Vinicius Rampazzo and ‘Prodigio’.
Barros, who joined RBLZ in 2024, came away empty-handed in a final for the second time in a matter of weeks. The highly talented South American had already narrowly missed out on a title in March. In the eMLS Cup, he initially dominated the competition while wearing the New York Red Bulls jersey, before failing to cap off an almost perfect tournament. Last year, he also lost in the final of the eLibertadores.
Internally, Barros could follow in the unfortunate footsteps of Levy Finn Riecks at RBLZ. Riecks had already been given the nickname “Fize-Vinn” during his time in Rostock – and initially confirmed this in the Leipzig jersey before recently crowning himself German singles champion.
Cowen, meanwhile, celebrated his second trophy in quick succession. He had only won the Argentine championship at the end of April and now he has bagged the double. “The second title in two weeks,” the 21-year-old rejoiced at X, unable to resist a little dig at his big rival: “The fact that it was in Brazil gives it a special flavor.”
The stage is now set for more emotional South American duels, with the next opportunity already in sight: Cowen will be flying the blue, white, and blue flag at the FC Pro World Championship, alongside Sevilla’s Nicolas Villalba and ManCity pro Matias Bonanno, to name but a few.
Six professionals from Brazil have already qualified, including Barros, who will be looking for revenge at the World Cup.
