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Interviews

MIÉ 26.04.2023 | Interviews

Gamer Guillen closer to seeing Barça in Spain

The day before heading to Mexico for vacation in March, an Instagram ad caught Jose Guillen’s eye.

Interviews

MIÉ 26.04.2023

The day before heading to Mexico for vacation in March, an Instagram ad caught Jose Guillen’s eye. 

The eLaLiga U.S. Challenge presented by Panini America was set to begin, pitting fans and players of EA Sports’ FIFA 23 in a competition full of prizes, bragging rights, celebrities and the ultimate prize of an all-inclusive, in-person LaLiga experience in Spain.

Guillen packed up his PlayStation 5 and borrowed a monitor from his cousin to participate.

“I was like, ‘I'll give it a try and see what happens,’” Guillen says. “And from there I kept winning.”

Recently advancing to the Celebrity Challenge portion of the competition, Guillen virtually met Yunus Musah and was selected to represent the Valencia CF star in the tournament’s Final Event live and in person on June 3 in Miami.

While he’s cut his teeth as a verified player on FIFA Ultimate Team, Guillen has relied on his favorite club, FC Barcelona, to advance through the eLaLiga U.S. Challenge.

“Of course I picked Barcelona,” he says. “I like to play tiki-taka a lot. But I’ll find (Ousmane) Dembélé because he’s fast and has the skill moves.”

Even though he’s been to Miami twice, though never before to compete, a potential trip to Spain would be a dream come true for Guillen, who has only seen Barça in person once—on July 24, 2022 against rivals Real Madrid at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Guillen, 19, went with his parents, Jose Sr., a fellow Barça fan, and Jeannette, a Madrid supporter. Raphina scored the game’s only goal as Barcelona bested Real Madrid 1-0 in front of a sold-out crowd of 61,299.

“It’s not the same thing as seeing El Clásico in Spain, but it was a good experience,” Guillen says. “Tickets were kind of expensive but it was worth it.”

Guillen, who played semi-pro for El Azul of the Colorado Premier League in Denver, only started playing soccer when he was 11. He actually started playing basketball before transitioning from the hardcourt to the pitch.

Now he’s leveraging his Barça and FIFA fandom and experience to potentially see his club in person.

“For me that’s a dream come true,” he says. “I’m a big fan of soccer so it would mean a lot to me.”

FULL SERIES:

Galician Roots in Brooklyn

Finding a Family Abroad

A LaLiga Love Story

A Divided Household

The Unexpected Fan

A Home Away from Home

An Atlético Legacy

The Real Madrid Collector 

Converted By Andalusia

It’s Been Too Long

The Return of the Underdogs

Love at First Sight

Building a Community in LA 

The President

A Family Tradition

A Breakaway from Household Support

The Rebellious Fan

The Golden Era

Mes Que Un Club 

The Bucket List

All in the Family

An Unforgettable Honeymoon

Real’s remontadas roped in this fan

Unexpected Encounter Leads to Unforgettable Experience

Més Que Una Penya

Sevilla Fandom Comes Full Circle

UD Almería unites community in New Jersey

Basque Roots Grow in Meaning for Boise Student

Local peña helps Celta Vigo fans overcome morriña

Betis is in Berro’s Blood

San Diego, the Birthplace of the first Cádiz Peña in the U.S.

Fate, luck and curiosity brought this fan to Atleti

Real Sociedad fandom blossoming in Boise

Growing up in awe of Sánchez, Real Madrid

Ortegas proudly promote Real Betis around the globe

¡Vamos mi Sevilla! ¡Vamos Nueva York!

Mexico’s Márquez Converted This Culé

Covid can’t stop this Valencia CF socio

Living near the Bernabéu led to this fan loving Real Madrid

How a U.S. Elementary School Principal Helped Save Real Oviedo

Growing the Beautiful Game in Montreal and Beyond

Uruguay’s Forlán Helped This Fan Fall in Love With Atleti

Ready to stick with RCD Mallorca through thick and thin

Behind this Barça Fan’s Pregame Ritual

A Fan’s Growing Barça Obsession in Toronto

Villarreal Academy Creates New Fans in Nebraska

Zamorano, Casillas Led this Fan to Real Madrid

All in on El Submarino Amarillo

Love, Marriage and Real Madrid

Watching Madrid at Bernabéu would be a “dream”

An Eibar fan’s journey from FIFA to fandom

Gamer Guillen closer to seeing Barça in Spain

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