Max Verstappen is undoubtedly one of the best F1 drivers on the current grid and very few can manage to go toe-to-toe with him. While he is extremely successful on the race track, he is also a very talented FIFA player. And the 25-year-old once decided to put his FIFA skills to the test against Dutch soccer star Frenkie de Jong. After losing the FIFA game, Verstappen gave De Jong the ultimate F1 challenge. However, it seemed to backfire on him after De Jong gave him the perfect reply.
When it comes to Verstappen’s reaction after losing to De Jong, it seems to suggest that he was not happy with the result. This is because the Red Bull driver was keen to show that he is not just good in F1 but can also beat his rivals in their sports.
The two competed against each other back in 2018 for Ziggo’s Ultimate FIFA battle. De Jong’s former Ajax teammate Matthijs de Ligt was the commentator for the same.
On seeing the quality of Verstappen, De Ligt too seemed impressed with his fellow Dutchman. However, unfortunately for Verstappen, his hard work did not pay off as he lost an agonizingly close battle to De Jong, following which he presented his challenge to the Dutch soccer star.
Max Verstappen was keen to humiliate Frenkie De Jong after his FIFA loss
As seen in the video below put out by Ziggo, it began with Max Verstappen trying to compete in a race with Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt. With De Jong and De Ligt beating Verstappen to it, the Red Bull driver did not seem happy.
And Verstappen’s mood was even made worse when De Jong beat him 5-3 in FIFA. The 25-year-old stated that things just did not go his way and that he wanted revenge. When De Ligt asked Verstappen if he would beat De Jong in a game of F1 on the PlayStation, the Red Bull driver hilariously replied, “I think in reverse“.
On hearing the same, both De Jong and De Ligt burst into laughter. The humor between Verstappen and De Jong just did not end there as the Dutch midfielder had the perfect reply. When presented with a cake after beating Verstappen, De Jong joked that he could humiliate the Red Bull driver by throwing it in his face.
However, it seems he had an even better way of pulling the 25-year-old’s leg. Since Max Verstappen supports PSV and De Jong previously played for arch-rivals Ajax, the 26-year-old stated that his team would still be playing in the UEFA Champions League while PSV was already out. Since De Jong and Verstappen could joke with each other with such ease, it just seems to suggest that they two share a good camaraderie.
As for Verstappen, even though there is no secret that he hates losing to anybody in any sport, he did eventually take this FIFA loss in good spirits. And it seems that Verstappen’s interest in FIFA is not just limited to his time off the race track.
Albon reveals Verstappen’s FIFA interest while racing
Alex Albon, who was Max Verstappen’s previous teammate at Red Bull, once described how “chilled” the Dutchman is while he is racing. The Thai driver stated that Verstappen is so much at ease that he also has time to open FIFA packs just before qualifying.
While speaking on the MotorMouth Podcast (as quoted by planetf1.com), Albon stated back in 2022, “I’ve been with him (Verstappen) and he can be so relaxed and it’s almost like I wish I could be like that. The guy is opening FIFA packs before qualifying. (So) you’re in a different level“. Albon, who was Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull for the 2020 season, was eventually dropped to a reserve driver role at the end of the year after he failed to match the Dutchman.
Since the 27-year-old failed to match Verstappen in the same machinery, it just indicates how strong the Dutchman is on the race track. And the same has been proven time and time again with the Red Bull driving winning week in and week out.
