On January 31, Neymar made a triumphant return to Santos FC following his stint with Al-Hilal. Just weeks later, on February 19, the football icon embarked on a new adventure by joining Brazil's premier esports organization, Furia. In his groundbreaking role as president of the media football team, Neymar is set to steer Furia through the exciting waters of the upcoming Kings League season, a pioneering tournament that seamlessly merges traditional sports with the dynamic world of esports.
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 immense enthusiasm about his new position with Furia, highlighting 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 immediate responsibility is to craft Furia's roster for the impending draft. The Kings League follows a 7v7 format, with each team comprising 13 players. Out of these, 10 players are chosen by the president from a common pool of 222 participants, with a total of 10 teams vying for supremacy in the league. Moreover, Neymar has the unique chance to participate in matches thanks to the "president penalty" rule, enabling him to take the field during any game.
What Is Kings League?
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Initiated in Spain in 2022, Kings League was co-founded by Gerard Pique and the renowned Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, who has an impressive 17 million followers on Twitch. Ibai has previously worked with esports powerhouse G2 Esports and owns the notable Spanish team KOI.
Since its inception, the league has expanded to Italy and Central America, with past finals taking place at iconic locations like Camp Nou. The matches adhere to a 2x20-minute format and feature innovative elements such as the "double goal" bonus, which doubles a team's next score for four minutes, or the ability to temporarily sideline an opponent for the same duration.
The Brazilian edition of Kings League will be held in São Paulo from March to April, featuring top clubs Fluxo and Loud, as well as 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 advocate for Furia since their ascent to prominence in 2019, when they qualified for a CS:GO Major – an achievement akin to winning a World Cup in esports. He regularly shared highlights of their matches on social media and recorded videos cheering them on during pivotal tournaments. One memorable instance saw him exclaim:
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, drawing parallels between the electric atmosphere and 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 even attempted to purchase 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 transcends Furia. He has participated in exhibition matches alongside Fallen, Brazil's most celebrated esports figure, and has socialized with Ukrainian star player s1mple. Furthermore, he shares a close bond with Furia CEO Andre Akkari, a professional poker player who carried the Olympic torch in 2016. Neymar often seeks Akkari's counsel on poker strategy, saying, "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 at the helm, Furia is poised to make significant strides in the burgeoning arena of media football and esports entertainment.
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