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 Furia, Brazil's largest esports organization. In his new role as president of their media football team, Neymar will lead Furia 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 excitement, 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 task is building Furia's Kings League roster. The league uses a 7v7 format with 13-player teams; 10 players are drafted from a pool of 222 participants by each team president. Ten teams compete. Neymar can also participate in matches via the "president penalty" rule.
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 Camp Nou. Matches are 2x20 minutes, featuring unique elements like "double goal" bonuses and temporary player removals.
The Brazilian edition, running March-April in São Paulo, includes Fluxo, Loud, and a team led by streamer Gaules (over 500,000 concurrent viewers). The presentation and draft air live on February 24th.
Neymar's Longstanding Connection to Furia
Neymar has been a vocal Furia supporter since their 2019 CS:GO Major qualification. He frequently shared match highlights and celebratory videos on social media. He once praised their performance, saying: "Go Brazil! Go Furia! Today is hunting day for Art, headshots from Yuurih, and clutch moments from Kscerato!"
In 2023, he attended a Rio de Janeiro CS:GO tournament, comparing the atmosphere to the FIFA World Cup. He even attempted to acquire a stake in the organization. It's reported that for years, he tried to buy Furia or a share, but they declined. Now, they've officially partnered.
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 seeks Akkari's poker advice. Akkari notes, "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 within media football and esports entertainment.
