Kingsborough’s Santiago Burgos Scores Second National Esports

The accounting major, who plans to graduate this summer, went undefeated in the Spring 2025 season to win the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE) Premier Series Championship.

Santiago Burgos Ramos Scores Second National Esports

Santiago Burgos Ramos didn’t expect video games to change his life. But after clinching his second consecutive national esports title this spring, the Kingsborough Community College student has become one of the top collegiate EA FC 25 players in the country.

He navigated a challenging Spring 2025 regular season, competing in a league featuring 31 teams spread across four groups. Over seven weeks of best-of-three series matches, he remained undefeated, winning every single game and series to earn the #1 seed in the EA FC 25 East 1 Postseason tournament.

“Winning again, especially under that kind of pressure, was something special,” said Burgos. “I was down 2-1 in the semifinals and finals. I felt like the better player, but things just weren’t going my way. My coach didn’t let me give up.”

That coach, Dr. Daniel Kane, watched Burgos fight through tough postseason matches. After defeating Guilford Tech 3-1 in the East 1 Final, Burgos swept Dallas College Eastfield and then edged out Lakeland Community College 3-2 in a nail-biting semifinal. The championship match was a rematch against Guilford Tech—and came down to a golden goal in overtime.

"Witnessing Santiago win again, especially under such intense pressure in the final game, is truly special," said Kane. "Going undefeated all season and then capping it off with a golden goal in the championship overtime shows his incredible skill, focus, and competitive spirit. Achieving back-to-back national titles is a monumental achievement for Santiago and elevates the KCC Esports program even further."

Burgos started playing FIFA, the soccer simulation game now called EA FC 25, in 2013. But he only began taking it seriously over the last few years. During the COVID-19 lockdown, with little else to do, he started investing more time in gaming. Now, he plays about two to three hours a day, mostly on weekends for FUT Champions, which is the highest level of competition in Ultimate Team.

“Playing Ultimate Team is the best way to improve,” he said. “Be patient, learn skills, and use player locks.”

He also plays soccer in real life, but school comes first. “My priority is to do well in school. I don’t really practice for FC 25,” Burgos said.

After Kingsborough, he hopes to attend a four-year school out of state and pursue a career in accounting while continuing to play esports. He encourages other students to give the KCC esports team a try.

“Many people don’t take esports seriously. I didn’t either, to be honest. But it’s growing,” he said. “If you’re good at the game and want to test yourself, you should put yourself out there.”

With back-to-back national championships under his belt, Santiago Burgos has already proven what’s possible.