On January 31, Neymar made a highly anticipated return to Santos FC after spending a year with Al-Hilal. Just weeks later, on February 19, the football superstar announced a new venture by joining forces with Brazil's largest esports organization, Furia. In his groundbreaking role as president of the media football team, Neymar will steer Furia through the exciting upcoming season of Kings League, a unique gaming tournament that seamlessly blends traditional sports with esports elements.
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Neymar expressed his enthusiasm about joining Furia, highlighting his long-standing 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 first task is to build Furia's roster for the upcoming draft. The Kings League operates in a 7v7 format, with each team consisting of 13 players. Out of these, 10 are selected by the president from a shared pool of 222 participants. A total of 10 teams will compete in the league. Beyond recruitment, Neymar also has the opportunity to participate in matches through the "president penalty" rule, allowing him to step onto the field during any match.
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Kings League launched in Spain in 2022, co-founded by Gerard Pique and renowned Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, who boasts 17 million followers on Twitch. Ibai previously collaborated with esports giant G2 Esports and owned the prominent Spanish team KOI.
The league has since expanded to Italy and Central America, with past finals held at iconic venues like Camp Nou. Matches follow a 2x20-minute format and include unique features 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 will take place in São Paulo from March to April, featuring top clubs Fluxo and Loud, along with a team led by popular streamer Gaules, whose streams have reached over 500,000 concurrent viewers. The presentation and draft event will air live on February 24.
Neymar has been a vocal supporter of Furia since its rise to prominence in 2019 when the team qualified for a CS:GO Major – equivalent to a World Cup in esports. He frequently shared highlights of their matches on social media and recorded videos cheering them on during critical tournaments. During one 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, comparing 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 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.
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He has played exhibition matches with Fallen, Brazil's most celebrated esports figure, and socialized with Ukrainian star player s1mple. Additionally, he maintains 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 waves in the burgeoning world of media football and esports entertainment.
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