The 2024/25 FPL Challenge champion Zawad Amin speaks about what winning the world title means to him and explains the decisions that led him to glory, so others can learn from the best.
Zawad, from Bangladesh, claimed the world title by 11 points, becoming the first FPL Challenge champion.
"Winning FPL Challenge means so much to me, especially because I come from a country that is still far behind in the global FIFA rankings," he explains.
"Ever since I was a child, my biggest dream has been to see my country win the World Cup one day.
"I think my success sends a powerful message to football lovers across Bangladesh. FPL is not just a game. It's a chance to deepen this nation's love for football, inspire future generations and help raise Bangladesh's profile in the global football community."
'FPL Challenge gives me the flexibility I was looking for'
Zawad started playing FPL Challenge during the beta stages of the game at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and has relished the concept.
"I've been playing the main FPL game since 2018, and I always hoped for a format that would allow a free hit every week, something I felt would suit my strengths," he adds.
"While playing FPL, I often had a good sense of which players would hold in a given Gameweek, but the limited transfers and the minus four hit penalties made it hard to act on those instincts. Despite consistently finishing in the top 10k, the frequent hits I took often kept me from breaking into the top 1k.
"So when FPL Challenge launched, it was easy for me to be excited about it because it gave me exactly the flexibility I had been looking for for a long while, which is what drew me to the game."
Differences between FPL Challenge and the main game
Zawad believes FPL Challenge requires Fantasy managers to use a different play style to be successful compared to the main game.
"The biggest difference is in the planning and strategy," explains Zawad. "In FPL, long-term planning is key. You have to think weeks ahead, manage your transfers carefully and take hits when needed. It rewards patience and consistency, which I do not have, unfortunately.
"On the other hand, FPL Challenge is all about short-term thinking. I can focus purely on the upcoming Gameweek without worrying about future fixtures or price changes. It allows me to pick the best possible team for that Gameweek only and based on match-up, form and even confirmed line-ups when possible.
"In FPL, I'm often restricted by players I already own, but in FPL Challenge, it gives me the complete freedom to act on instinct and current information."
Bowen's final-day haul proves crucial
Heavily focused on the individual challenges, Zawad didn't realise how close he was to overall FPL Challenge glory until the latter part of the season.
"It wasn't until the end of Gameweek 33 that I seriously thought I had a real shot at winning," explains Zawad.
"In a way, not knowing earlier helped me because once I became aware, the pressure started to get to me. My performance over the last four Gameweeks dipped compared to earlier in the season, and mostly because I began overthinking every decision. Thankfully, I didn't bottle it in the end."
The champion credits his victory to Jarrod Bowen's final-day performance.
"Jarrod Bowen came through for me in the final Gameweek with a goal and an assist. Without that, my gamble on picking Luis Diaz or [Mohamed] Salah might have cost me first place, and the third place manager would have overtaken me because he had Salah as captain."
Backing Salah despite no double points in challenge
Zawad played in all 38 rounds of this season's competition, with one of his best performances coming in Gameweek 10. That FPL Challenge was called "Foul Play", where Zawad finished 348th, although it was not his best Gameweek, which came in Gameweek 17.
"My favourite challenge was in Gameweek 17, where home players earned double points," says Zawad. "It stands out because I made a huge rank jump that week, finishing 73rd globally. I had no hesitation stacking up on Fulham defenders as they were at home to a Southampton side that had struggled to score all season, especially around that time.
"I also backed an in-form Salah, even without the home advantage, as I was confident he would deliver against a vulnerable Spurs defence."
Focus on the weekly challenge to maximise returns
Zawad explains that unlike in the main game, each weekly FPL Challenge means it's best to focus on the specific challenges to work out how to maximise the potential returns instead of looking at the players.
"After that, I focus on picking players who I believe have the potential to perform exceptionally well that week, like Salah in Gameweek 17 and [Matheus] Cunha in Gameweek 34," says Zawad. "And even if they don't really benefit from the weekly challenge, it's about balancing each challenge's requirement with the players most likely to deliver big points."
He also notes that he doesn't change his strategy depending on whether there is a limited or unlimited budget.
"In the last few Gameweeks, even with an unlimited budget, I mostly avoided high-priced players. I avoided Salah and then [Cole] Palmer, [Bukayo] Saka and [Erling] Haaland because they were all out of form and because form and potential performance matter more to me than budget constraints."
Take advantage of knowing the line-ups
According to the FPL Challenge winner, it's important to consider factors such as injuries, fatigue and possible rotation when selecting your line-up.
"I look closely at starting line-ups for formations and any signs of weakness like injuries or fatigue," explains Zawad. "I also considered external factors such as teams prioritising other competitions. For example, Tottenham Hotspur rested key players ahead of their Europa League final, and spotting that kind of detail helped shape my picks."
He explains that much like in the main FPL game, he sets up his team early in the week and then monitors teamsheets over the weekend to see if he needs to make any changes.
"I usually create a rough FPL Challenge team early," says Zawad. "But I only finalise my line-up after the FPL deadline. My main focus before the deadline is always on my main FPL team.
"I also keep an eye on team news and line-ups to adjust my challenge team accordingly. If I see a player is on the bench, I will just automatically go and take them out."
Zawad did this in the final Gameweek. He had originally selected Brighton's Danny Welbeck, but when he found out that the forward wasn't in the squad, he made a change.
"I had Welbeck throughout the week, and it was surprising for me because he was not even in the squad. I was expecting him to go big against a Spurs side who had been celebrating their Europa League success. But when I saw that he was not playing, I just swapped him with Wissa."
A new signings challenge next season?
When asked if he had any ideas for future challenges, Zawad suggested one around new signings would be fun.
"I would make the Gameweek immediately after the transfer window closes a special round where players newly signed to a club score double points. So you can find players like Cunha, who has joined Manchester United, scoring double points for your FPL Challenge team."
