Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen once confessed that Fantasy Premier League was his "obsession" as he topped the world rankings. The nation is once again in the grip of FPL fever, with millions of football fans vying to outdo each other by picking the perfect team.
The game, which requires strategy, patience, knowledge, and a dash of luck, bears a slight resemblance to chess, making Carlsen's fondness for it all the more understandable. The 33-year-old has publicly expressed his passion for the game and how he astonishingly managed to ascend to the top of the global rankings in December 2019 - surpassing some seven million others.
In a 2020 interview with The Athletic, Carlsen revealed that his love for the game almost overshadowed his profession, with the five-time world chess champion even modifying his bio on social media platform, X, to reflect his temporary lead in the standings.
Since its debut in 2002, the fantasy league has seen explosive growth, with over 10 million players participating in the 2023/24 season. While Carlsen's enthusiasm for the league is clearly shared by many, the world's number one chess player stated that it brought him so much joy that winning the FPL "would trump everything except becoming world champion in classical chess."
The chess grandmaster, has confessed that "The League," an American TV show about a fantasy NFL league ignited his interest in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), despite finding the NFL dull. He divulged that his passion for FPL was sparked as he and his friends shifted focus to football, reports the Mirror.
Carlsen opened up about his early days as an FPL manager: "I didn't watch that much Premier League before and I've never really been a fan of one particular team," he said. "But now I'm watching more, reading more, looking at more stats."
Despite not being a seasoned Premier League enthusiastfavoring La Liga and the Champions League insteadFPL captivated Carlsen's attention and eventually fuelled an all-consuming "obsession."
Describing the gripping nature of FPL, Carlsen explained his initial strategy and the journey to his passion: "It was exciting. Initially, I was mainly making decisions in order to beat my next opponent in our head-to-head league," he said. "Frankly, it took me a couple of seasons to actually follow the overall rankings. But ever since then, I've just become more and more interested. It's become an obsession."
In a candid revelation, Carlsen attributed his interest in the game to the "stats and diagrams" that fuel the experience. The Norwegian chess prodigy stated, "I try to watch as many games as I can," and added, "I look at stats and diagrams. I swap advice with friends. Then, throughout the week, I will be on the lookout for news. By spending some time on it and having a decent enough rest of mind, I give myself more of a chance of being lucky than a lot of other people."
A fervent Real Madrid fan, Carlsen has often fused his passion for football with his chess career, even challenging Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold to a chess match in 2018 - which Carlsen triumphed in. Surprising many die-hard football fans, the seven-time World Blitz Chess Champion admits that FPL's allure is so commanding that he finds himself more excited for a match involving his captain than a celebrated footballing event like the Champions League final.
Describing his dedication to fantasy football, Carlsen confesses, "Take a regular Premier League game where my captain is playing; I look forward to that more than the Champions League final," admitting, "I have to say that. I am that much of a degenerate when it comes to fantasy football."
If you're planning to follow in the footsteps of Carlsen and let FPL consume all your free time, then you'll need to have your team ready and be registered in all the leagues you want to compete in by 6.30pm on Friday, August 16. After this time, you won't be able to make any changes to your team as Manchester United and Fulham kick off their Premier League campaign at 8pm.
However, you will be able to make adjustments for gameweek two once the match has begun.
