Erik Ibsen had never played Fantasy Premier League before this season. He only signed up because his sister needed a hand with a work league and he fancied a bit of sibling rivalry. He ended the campaign as the outright FPL champion, finishing 38 points clear of the field across more than 11 million entries. Even he calls it "completely insane".

How the margin was built

Ibsen, a 23-year-old Danish medical student and Everton supporter, went into the final gameweek 21 points ahead of his nearest challenger. He extended that lead to 38 by captaining Bruno Fernandes, the Manchester United skipper, who returned 14 points on the final day. A well-timed captain pick at the death is rarely accidental — it reflects a season's worth of process rather than a single moment of fortune, and Ibsen is candid that both elements were present. "Of course there's been some luck involved but I have also put time into it and it's taken a lot of my energy," he told BBC Newsbeat.

The Excel sheet, not the algorithm

FPL has spawned an entire cottage industry: podcasts, dedicated websites and, increasingly, AI-powered tools promising an analytical edge. Ibsen went the other way. He built his own spreadsheet and, by his own admission, was spending four or five hours a day on it during the final week of the season (his university exams, he jokes, have suffered as a result).

The decision to avoid AI was deliberate. His reasoning is worth noting for anyone who has leaned on a chatbot for their chip strategy. "It didn't really take account for scenarios," he said, pointing to the closing weeks when Manchester City and Arsenal players were still being flagged as strong picks despite their clubs having nothing to play for. Ibsen was sceptical and acted accordingly — the kind of contextual judgement that fixed models struggle to replicate.

His early captaincy calls were, by his own admission, unconventional — defenders James Tarkowski and Marc Guéhi wore the armband at various points, as did goalkeeper David Raya. Those choices did not all land, yet the season total still put him top of the global rankings. It is a reminder that FPL rewards consistency over a 38-gameweek haul far more than any individual week's genius.

A squad built on process

One moment Ibsen has already highlighted for an "appreciation post" is Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott's 12-point return against Arsenal in April. Picking differential assets who return big in unexpected fixtures is exactly the kind of edge that separates the top of the rankings from the mass of template squads. Scott's blank-gameweek gamble paid off handsomely.

The prize for finishing first overall includes a seven-night UK break and VIP hospitality at two Premier League fixtures next season. For an Everton fan who has never attended a top-flight match in person, a visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium will carry rather more meaning than the average corporate hospitality experience.

Ibsen says his childhood dream was to be a football manager. He is quick to add he is "not really" a football expert. The numbers, however, suggest otherwise — or at least that a well-structured spreadsheet and a willingness to think independently from the crowd counts for quite a lot.

Frequently asked

Who won Fantasy Premier League 2024-25?
Erik Ibsen, a 23-year-old Danish medical student, won the FPL overall title for the 2024-25 season, finishing 38 points ahead of his closest rival across more than 11 million entries.
How does the FPL overall winner get decided?
The FPL overall winner is the manager with the highest cumulative points total across all 38 gameweeks of the Premier League season, after any chip bonuses and captain multipliers are applied.
Is using AI in Fantasy Premier League allowed?
Yes, using AI tools to help with FPL decisions is permitted. However, the 2024-25 champion chose not to rely on AI, arguing it failed to account for contextual factors such as teams having nothing to play for late in the season.