On January 31, Neymar made a triumphant return to Santos FC following a year with Al-Hilal. Mere weeks later, on February 19, the football icon joined Brazil's leading esports organization, Furia, in a groundbreaking move. As the new president of Furia's media football team, Neymar is set to steer the organization through the upcoming season of Kings League, an innovative tournament that seamlessly blends traditional sports with esports elements.
Table of Content
- What Will Neymar Do?
- What Is Kings League?
- Neymar's Longstanding Connection to Furia
- Neymar's ties to esports extend beyond Furia
What Will Neymar Do?
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Neymar expressed immense enthusiasm about his new role with Furia, highlighting his unwavering support for the organization:
Anyone who follows me knows how much I've backed Furia since day one. Whenever my schedule allows, I'll be working closely with the team. I'm confident that the squad we assemble will consistently perform at a high level.
As president, Neymar's immediate responsibility is to construct Furia's lineup for the upcoming draft. The Kings League operates on a 7v7 format, with each team comprising 13 players. Out of these, 10 are handpicked by the president from a common pool of 222 participants. A total of 10 teams will vie for supremacy in the league. Additionally, Neymar has the chance to participate in matches thanks to the "president penalty" rule, allowing him to step onto the pitch during any game.
What Is Kings League?
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Launched in Spain in 2022, Kings League was co-founded by Gerard Pique and the renowned Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, who commands an impressive following of 17 million on Twitch. Ibai's past collaborations include partnerships with esports titan G2 Esports and ownership of the prominent Spanish team KOI.
Since its inception, the league has expanded to Italy and Central America, with past finals held at iconic venues such as Camp Nou. Matches adhere to a 2x20-minute format and feature unique elements like the "double goal" bonus, which doubles a team's next score for four minutes, or the ability to temporarily sideline an opponent for the same duration.
The Brazilian edition of Kings League is scheduled to take place in São Paulo from March to April, featuring top clubs Fluxo and Loud, as well as a team led by popular streamer Gaules, whose streams have garnered over 500,000 concurrent viewers. The presentation and draft event will be broadcast live on February 24.
Neymar's Longstanding Connection to Furia
Neymar has been a vocal advocate for Furia since their rise to prominence in 2019, when they qualified for a CS:GO Major – akin to a World Cup in esports. He regularly shared their match highlights on social media and recorded videos cheering them on during pivotal tournaments. During one particularly memorable moment, he praised the team's performance:
Go Brazil! Go Furia! Today is hunting day for Art, headshots from Yuurih, and clutch moments from Kscerato!
In 2023, Neymar attended a CS:GO tournament in Rio de Janeiro, likening the electric atmosphere to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar:
Good morning! I wasn't feeling the World Cup until I saw the crowd's reaction at the Major in Rio. What a celebration, what an atmosphere!
Neymar had previously tried to acquire a stake in the organization:
For years, he tried to buy Furia or a share of it, negotiating and waving money around, but Furia declined. Now they've officially partnered, and I think Neymar finally got his piece of Furia. He's been trying for six years.
Neymar's ties to esports extend beyond Furia
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Neymar's involvement in esports extends well beyond Furia. He has participated in exhibition matches alongside Fallen, Brazil's most celebrated esports figure, and has socialized with Ukrainian star player s1mple. Additionally, he shares a close friendship with Furia CEO Andre Akkari, a professional poker player who carried the Olympic torch in 2016. Neymar often seeks Akkari's advice on poker strategy:
He's incredibly smart. Every day, he asks me about hands and techniques. He sends me WhatsApp messages with hands from his home games, asking how I'd play them in a World Series or EPT setting.
With Neymar's leadership and passion for gaming, Furia is poised to make significant strides in the burgeoning world of media football and esports entertainment.
