On January 31, Neymar made a notable return to Santos FC after spending a year with Al-Hilal. Just weeks later, on February 19, the football icon announced his collaboration with Brazil's leading esports organization, Furia. In his new capacity as president of Furia's media football team, Neymar is set to steer the team through the upcoming season of Kings League, a groundbreaking tournament that merges traditional sports with esports.
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What Will Neymar Do? What Is Kings League? Neymar's Longstanding Connection to Furia Neymar's ties to esports extend beyond Furia 0 0 Comment on this What Will Neymar Do?
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Neymar shared his enthusiasm about joining Furia, highlighting his longstanding 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 initial responsibility is to construct Furia's roster for the upcoming draft. The Kings League features 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 in the league. Additionally, Neymar has the chance to play in matches thanks to the "president penalty" rule, which allows him to take the field during any match.
What Is Kings League?
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Initiated in Spain in 2022, Kings League was co-founded by Gerard Pique and the celebrated Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, who has a following of 17 million on Twitch. Ibai has previously worked with the esports giant G2 Esports and owned the well-known Spanish team KOI.
Since its inception, the league has expanded to Italy and Central America, with previous finals occurring at prestigious venues like Camp Nou. Matches are structured in a 2x20-minute format and include distinctive elements such as the "double goal" bonus, which doubles a team's next score for four minutes, or the option 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 prominent clubs Fluxo and Loud, as well as a team led by the 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 an outspoken supporter of Furia since its ascent to prominence in 2019 when the team qualified for a CS:GO Major – comparable to a World Cup in esports. He frequently shared their match highlights on social media and recorded videos cheering them on during key tournaments. In one memorable moment, he praised 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 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 even attempted to invest 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 has participated in exhibition matches alongside Fallen, Brazil's most renowned 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 consults Akkari for poker strategy advice: "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.
