Neymar Leads Furia's Media Football Team

On January 31, Neymar made a triumphant return to Santos FC after spending a year with Al-Hilal. Just weeks later, on February 19, the football icon announced an exciting new chapter in his career by joining Brazil's largest esports organization, Furia. In his pioneering role as president of the media football team, Neymar will steer Furia through the upcoming season of the Kings League, a groundbreaking tournament that seamlessly blends traditional sports with esports dynamics.

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?

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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 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. From this group, 10 are chosen by the president from a common pool of 222 participants. The league will host 10 teams in total. Additionally, Neymar can take to the field himself through the "president penalty" rule, which allows him to play in any match.

What Is Kings League?

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Launched in Spain in 2022, the Kings League was co-founded by Gerard Pique and renowned Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, who has an impressive following of 17 million on Twitch. Ibai has previously worked with esports powerhouse G2 Esports and owns the successful Spanish team KOI.

Since its inception, the league has expanded into Italy and Central America, with past finals held at prestigious venues such as Camp Nou. Matches in the Kings League are structured in a 2x20-minute format and include innovative features like the "double goal" bonus, which doubles a team's next score for four minutes, and the ability to temporarily remove an opponent from play for the same duration.

The Brazilian edition of the Kings League is scheduled to take place in São Paulo from March to April, featuring top clubs like Fluxo and Loud, as well as a team led by the popular streamer Gaules, who has attracted over 500,000 concurrent viewers to his streams. The presentation and draft event will be broadcast live on February 24.

Neymar's Longstanding Connection to Furia

Neymar's support for Furia dates back to 2019, when the team qualified for a CS:GO Major, considered the esports equivalent of a World Cup. He has consistently shared their match highlights on social media and recorded videos cheering them on during crucial tournaments. During one memorable moment, he lauded 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 and likened the electrifying atmosphere to that of 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!

For years, Neymar attempted to acquire a stake in Furia, negotiating and offering financial incentives, but the organization initially declined. However, they have now officially partnered, suggesting Neymar may have finally secured his long-awaited share in Furia after six years of pursuit.

Neymar's Ties to Esports Extend Beyond Furia

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Neymar's involvement in esports extends beyond his association with Furia. He has participated in exhibition matches alongside Fallen, Brazil's most celebrated 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 seeks Akkari's counsel on poker strategies:

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 well-positioned to make significant strides in the evolving landscape of media football and esports entertainment.