‘I can’t believe it!’ – Rookie manager wins Fantasy Premier League
Erik Ibsen becomes the first Dane to win FPL as he takes the prize by a 38-point margin
Erik Ibsen has been crowned 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League champion, winning the world title by 38 points in his FIRST season playing Fantasy and becoming the first Dane to claim the prize.
Ibsen was 21 points ahead going into the final day, and a 14-point haul from his captain Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) and double-digit scores from his two Gameweek 38 transfers, Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m) and Pedro Porro (£5.2m), along with 10 points from Marcus Tavernier (£5.3m), proved enough.
“I can’t put it into words,” said Ibsen. “I can’t believe it, frankly. What a season!
“I was quite nauseous right before, but once the deadline passed and there was nothing more I could do, I think the nerves calmed down.”
A 23-year-old medical student at Southern Danish University, Ibsen watched Sunday’s matches in a pub and followed his team and his rivals’ teams scores on his phone.
“I think when I first became No 1 in Gameweek 29, I had hope,” he said. “But I don’t think I really let myself get bitten by the thought of winning it until the final day. I really tried to stay grounded and let the games play out through to the end.”
The champion, who supports Everton, revealed it was his sister who was the reason for him creating an FPL team for the first time ahead of Gameweek 1.
“I started because my sister was going to start and she wanted help, but also wanted to compete against me,” added Ibsen. “So I made my own team.
“I’ve absolutely loved this season. I will never forget Alex Scott in Gameweek 32 (when he got 12 points against Arsenal), but it was quite stressful over the last few weeks. My family, girlfriend and friends know I spent quite a lot of time deliberating over decisions.”