Former FIFA esports champ makes professional debut for national football team

by

A gamer who used to be a top esports player traded virtual football for the real game and is now playing professionally. He recently made his first appearance for his country’s national team.

Oliver Provstgaard Nielsen, known as OliverPN, was the champion of the 2021 eChampions League, defeating Er_Caccia98 in the final. Now, five years later, the 22-year-old is a professional player for Lazio in Italy’s Serie A league and recently made his debut playing for the Danish national team.

Provstgaard received his first call-up to the Danish national team for their World Cup qualifying match against North Macedonia on March 26th. Although he started on the bench, he entered the game as a substitute in the 86th minute – with Denmark already leading 4-0 – and earned his first international appearance.

FIFA esports champion OliverPN makes Denmark debut

Although it seems incredible, this news isn’t entirely unexpected. The Athletic reported that Provstgaard was already playing for Vejle Boldklub’s youth team in 2021 and had previously captained both Denmark’s under-16 and under-17 national teams.

Oliver Provstgaard, a player from Lazio, made his debut for the Danish national team. Although he only played for a few minutes, it’s a significant achievement for the young athlete. Interestingly, Provstgaard was previously a European champion in eFootball in 2021 but decided to pursue a career as a football player instead.

— Sottoporta (@Sottoporta_ICI) March 27, 2026

I was recovering from a torn ACL, so I decided to give esports a shot while I was sidelined. That’s how I ended up competing in the 2021 eChampions League.

He assembled a powerful team featuring legendary players like Pelé and Ronaldo, ultimately winning the competition and a $75,000 prize. After recovering from an injury, he resumed playing traditional soccer, quickly joining the first team at Vejle Boldklub, and eventually transferred to Lazio in 2025.

Denmark has one final qualifying game against the Czech Republic on March 31st. If they win, they’ll secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the USA. Just as OliverPN dominated in the FIFA 21 European competition, there’s a good chance he could now compete in the actual World Cup.

Read More

2026-03-27 19:21