Finalists in 2024 and podium finishers in 2025,
Team Falcons finally secured their first
Rocket League title at the Esports World Cup this Sunday, with dominant victories in both the semifinals and grand final, delivering clean sweeps against
Karmine Corp and
Spacestation Gaming.
Following the grand final and the celebration of their long-awaited title, Samy “
dralii” Hajji joined us for an interview to discuss the hard-earned championship, which marks his third consecutive EWC title, the challenge of replacing Mohammed Khalid “
trk511” Alotaibi, and how this Falcons roster can still improve.
What made the difference against Karmine Corp today, which was almost a final before the final?
Samy "dralii" Hajji: “We came into the series very confident. Honestly, I didn't expect it to end 4-0, but we played really well. I think they just weren't having their best day, and that's what made the difference.
Do you think you were even stronger than usual, or was it mainly Karmine Corp struggling?
dralii: I think we've been exceptional throughout this tournament. It's not that we were stronger than usual against them; we just played our game as usual. On their side, maybe they weren't feeling their best.
What effect did such a dominant win have before heading into the grand final?
dralii: Honestly, it was a bit of a relief because I know
Karmine Corp can be a very tough opponent. So yeah, it relieved me. We had even more confidence after that 4-0, so it propelled us forward and helped us mentally going into the final.
You dominated Spacestation Gaming in the grand final. Was that down to your level, momentum, or something else?
dralii: Momentum is very important in
Rocket League, but even without it, we have a very, very high level. SSG is a very good team, but they don't have what it takes to beat a team like Falcons.
What do you think SSG are missing compared to Falcons?
dralii: I don't know. I'm not with them. Individually, they're very good players. Obviously, we're stronger individually than them. Whether it's mentally, in terms of mentality, or individual level, I think we're a step above SSG.
This is your third Esports World Cup title. What does that achievement mean to you?
dralii: Apparently, I've been crowned a legend of the Heroes Club, so that makes me happy. It's a legendary tournament, so having such a high status in it is simply incredible.
It was a challenge to replace trk511, given Falcons’ results last year. Is it also a relief to show Falcons that it was the right choice?
dralii: Without talking about trk511, because honestly, since I joined Falcons, I've never really thought about how I compare to him. I don't really care about that. So yes, it is a relief, but not for that reason. It's because I really like my team. I want to keep playing with them, and winning tournaments like this with them gives me a lot of confidence and makes me really happy.
Did you expect to see so many Saudi fans supporting Falcons in Paris?
dralii: No, there were so many Saudi fans cheering throughout every match. I honestly didn't expect it, especially since we're on another continent. They're very passionate fans, and it's incredible to see.
Do you still see room for improvement with this Falcons roster?
dralii: Of course. You can never stop improving. I think by the World Championship in a month, we'll be even stronger. I'm excited to see what happens.”
