On January 31st, Neymar rejoined Santos FC after a year with Al-Hilal. Just weeks later, on February 19th, this football superstar joined forces with Brazil's leading esports organization, Furia, as president of their media football team. This exciting move places Neymar at the helm of Furia's entry into the Kings League, a groundbreaking gaming tournament blending traditional sports and esports.
Table of Contents
- 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?
Neymar expressed his enthusiasm, stating: "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, his initial focus is building Furia's Kings League roster. The league uses a 7v7 format with 13-player teams. Ten players are drafted from a pool of 222 participants, with ten teams competing. Beyond recruitment, the "president penalty" rule allows Neymar to participate in matches.
What Is Kings League?
Launched in Spain in 2022, co-founded by Gerard Piqué and streamer Ibai Llanos (17 million Twitch followers), the Kings League has expanded to Italy and Central America. Past finals were held at venues like Camp Nou. Matches are 2x20 minutes, featuring unique elements such as "double goal" bonuses and temporary player removals.
The Brazilian Kings League, running from March to April in São Paulo, includes prominent clubs like Fluxo and Loud, plus a team led by streamer Gaules (over 500,000 concurrent viewers). The presentation and draft will air live on February 24th.
Neymar's Longstanding Connection to Furia
Neymar's support for Furia dates back to 2019, when they qualified for a CS:GO Major. He frequently shared their highlights on social media, celebrating their successes. He once exclaimed: "Go Brazil! Go Furia! Today is hunting day for Art, headshots from Yuurih, and clutch moments from Kscerato!"
In 2023, attending a Rio de Janeiro CS:GO tournament, he compared the atmosphere to the FIFA World Cup: "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!" He even previously attempted to invest in the organization.
Neymar's Ties to Esports Extend Beyond Furia
He's played exhibition matches with Fallen and socialized with s1mple. His close friendship with Furia CEO Andre Akkari (a professional poker player and 2016 Olympic torchbearer) is noteworthy; Neymar often consults Akkari 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, Furia is well-positioned for success in media football and esports.
