On January 31, football icon Neymar made a heartfelt return to Santos FC following a year with Al-Hilal. Mere weeks later, on February 19, he embarked on an exciting new journey by aligning with Furia, Brazil's premier esports organization. In his role as president of the media football team, Neymar is set to steer Furia through the upcoming Kings League season, an innovative tournament that seamlessly blends traditional sports with esports dynamics.
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 has expressed his enthusiasm about joining Furia, underscoring 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 primary responsibility is to construct Furia's team for the upcoming draft. The Kings League follows a 7v7 format, with each team comprising 13 players. Out of these, 10 are chosen by the president from a shared pool of 222 participants. A total of 10 teams will vie for supremacy in the league. Beyond team assembly, Neymar has the opportunity to engage in matches through the "president penalty" rule, allowing him to step onto the field during any game.
What Is Kings League?
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Kings League, launched in Spain in 2022, was co-founded by Gerard Pique and the renowned Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, who commands an audience of 17 million followers on Twitch. Ibai has previously collaborated with the esports giant G2 Esports and owned the prominent Spanish team KOI.
The league has expanded its reach to Italy and Central America, with past finals held at iconic venues like Camp Nou. Matches are structured in a 2x20-minute format and feature unique elements such as the "double goal" bonus, which doubles a team's next score for four minutes, or the ability to temporarily remove an opponent from play 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, along with a team led by the popular streamer Gaules, whose streams have attracted 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 supporter of Furia since their ascent in 2019, when the team qualified for a CS:GO Major, the equivalent of a World Cup in esports. He often shared their match highlights on social media and recorded videos cheering them on during crucial tournaments. In one memorable moment, he celebrated their 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 that of 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's dedication to Furia extended to attempting 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 goes beyond Furia. He has participated in exhibition matches with Fallen, Brazil's most celebrated esports figure, and 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 emerging world of media football and esports entertainment.
