“Who would have thought that playing EA SPORTS FIFA would one day take me to the FIFA Ballon d’Or,” said reigning FIFA Interactive World Cup champion Francisco Cruz, sitting in Zurich, Switzerland just hours after having experienced the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2011 Gala.

With his victory at the FIWC11 Grand Final in Los Angeles, Cruz earned $20,000 in prize money and a priceless invitation to the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2011 Gala. At the Gala, Francisco talked tactics with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, played FIFA 12 against Wayne Rooney and Gerard Piqué on a nearby PS3 and shook hands with superstars such as Lionel Messi, Xavi, Ronaldo, Neymar and Dani Alves. The morning following Francisco’s incredible night at the Gala, the team at FIFA.com spoke with him as he reflected on the experience.

This must have been an amazing experience for you. Does any specific moment stand out?

Francisco: I can’t really say what my favourite moment was. All of it was incredible. Beating Wayne Rooney at FIFA 12 and talking to Sir Alex Ferguson were certainly highlights. And of course meeting Lionel Messi, my favourite player. There have been so many highlights, I have to watch out that I don’t forget anything!

What did you discuss with Sir Alex?

Francisco: For me he’s a true legend. He’s been with Manchester United for more than twenty years now so I was very happy that I had the opportunity to talk to him. We talked about the best ways to cope with mental pressure in tough games. This was really helpful for me and I’ll definitely try to apply his advice at this year’s Grand Final.

You mentioned your EA SPORTS FIFA 12 match with Wayne Rooney. What was it like to play against one of your idols?

Francisco: It’s a dream playing against one of my favourite players. It’s a new experience and I would like to do it again next year, he is a good player. He kept possession of the ball well with England but he could not transfer that into goal scoring opportunities. He said he was the best FIFA 12 player at Manchester United and I believe him as he was very good. I had some good chances and I scored, but he could have scored one or two goals.

You brought your cousin to the Gala. Why did you choose him to accompany you?

Francisco: My family is very important to me. For the 2009 Grand Final in Barcelona, where I placed third, I invited my sister. Last year, my father came with me to Los Angeles, so now it was my cousin’s turn. He’s just as crazy about football as I am, plus he’s a really good friend of mine.

Did you ever imagine that you would be part of such a special night when you first played the FIFA series?

Francisco: No, not at all. It is still unbelievable. I mean who would have thought that playing EA SPORTS FIFA would one day take me to the FIFA Ballon d’Or! And now, here I am, among stars like Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney!

Is this day at the FIFA Ballon d’Or a strong motivation for you to defend your title?

Francisco: I’m very competitive and I want to win every game. Of course, this day is very special for me and If I could be part of this once more it would be fantastic. I’ll definitely give my all and try to defend my title!

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You may remember last week I showed you photos from our Uncharted 3 Treasure Hunt in Jordan, where we took 20 competition winners from across the globe deep into the desert to compete in a series of challenges. Here is a short film we shot following their progress:

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone that made such a fantastic trip happen. Here’s hoping all that sand has whetted your appetite for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, which launches from November 2nd, only on PlayStation 3.

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While our wonderful PlayStation Community has been getting their hands on the Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception multiplayer this week, team SCEE were joined by 20 competition winners from across the world, local media, Naughty Dog representatives and Nolan North and Emily Rose – the actors behind Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher in the game – on a treasure hunt in the Jordanian desert.

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Hello Everyone,

This Monday there were nervous, sweaty fingers aplenty poised on any manner of gaming peripherals…the reason? A special Gran Turismo 5 driving event that could possibly be the biggest ever race.

At precisely 15.20 BST on Monday, over 7500 Gran Turismo gamers lined up on a virtual starting grid in a unique 3-way simultaneous race that saw F1 legend David Coulthard put his driving reputation on the line in a real versus virtual driving battle quite unlike any other.

Coulthard’s real-life challenge on the Dunsfold circuit, better known as the Top Gear Test Track, was beamed live via internet to thousands, he was joined at the track by F1 race commentator Martin Brundle who presented the live race action.

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Hello Everyone

Have you ever watched a F1 race and dreamt what it would be like to pit your driving skills against a F1 driver, well if you have a copy of Gran Turismo 5, now is your chance.

In a unique race on Monday 5 September, David Coulthard will take the wheel of a real 6.3 litre V8 powered Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. GT5 fans from around the globe will simultaneously be able to pit their driving skills against the world-class professional driver, driving the same car through a specially created in-game seasonal event – the Mercedes-Benz Driving Event.

To make the race that little bit more dramatic, the world famous track located in Europe which will be the race location is to remain a secret until race day to give all competitors a fair chance at victory.

Meanwhile, back at Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands, England, 24 prize draw winners will be battling to qualify for their place in the big race, and for those lucky few who set the top six qualifying times there will be a chance to compete against Coulthard in real time at the flagship venue where visitors are welcome to come and watch the action for themselves.

For the winning contestant at Mercedes-Benz World an all expenses paid trip to the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix in November awaits.

So here’s what you need to know if you want to get involved.

- The real and virtual races will begin at 15.20 BST. Real-time footage of the action from the secret track location and Brooklands will be streamed through a specially created site www.mercedesliverace.co.uk.

- Live coverage on the day will begin at 15.00 BST and will be presented by F1 commentator Martin Brundle.

- Leaderboard information for virtual racers brave enough to take on David Coulthard via the Mercedes-Benz Driving Event will be available on gran-turismo.com.

The in-game Mercedes-Benz Driving Event will be available until Monday 26 September so there’s plenty of time to keep honing those times. But the question is have you got the skills to take on and beat an F1 driver?

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