Neymar Headlines Furia Football Team

On January 31st, Neymar returned to Santos FC following a year with Al-Hilal. Shortly after, on February 19th, the football superstar partnered with Brazil's leading esports organization, Furia. Appointed as president of the media football team, Neymar will guide Furia in the forthcoming season of the Kings League—an inventive tournament that merges traditional football with competitive gaming.

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What Is Neymar's Role? What Is the Kings League? Neymar's Long-Term Association with Furia Neymar's Involvement in Esports Goes Further 0 0 Leave a Comment

What Is Neymar's Role?

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Neymar shared his enthusiasm about joining Furia, highlighting his consistent support for the organization: 

My followers know I’ve backed Furia from the very beginning. Whenever my schedule permits, I’ll be working closely with the team. I trust that the roster we build will deliver strong, reliable performances.

As president, Neymar's initial responsibility is to construct Furia’s roster for the upcoming draft. The Kings League follows a 7v7 structure, with each team comprising 13 players. Ten of these players are chosen by the president from a collective pool of 222 contenders. Ten teams will participate in the league. In addition to recruitment, Neymar can take part in matches through the "president penalty" rule, enabling him to enter the field during any game.

What Is the Kings League?

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The Kings League debuted in Spain in 2022, co-founded by Gerard Piqué and celebrated Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, who has 17 million followers on Twitch. Ibai previously worked with esports titan G2 Esports and co-owned the well-known Spanish team KOI.

Since then, the league has grown to include Italy and Central America, with previous finals hosted at legendary stadiums like Camp Nou. Matches are played in two 20-minute halves and feature special rules such as the "double goal" boost—doubling the next goal for four minutes—or the option to temporarily dismiss an opposing player for the same period.

The Brazilian edition of the Kings League will run from March to April in São Paulo, featuring elite clubs Fluxo and Loud, as well as a team captained by popular streamer Gaules, whose broadcasts have drawn over 500,000 simultaneous viewers. The presentation and draft event will be broadcast live on February 24th.

Neymar's Long-Term Association with Furia

Neymar has publicly cheered for Furia since their breakthrough in 2019, when the team qualified for a CS:GO Major—the esports equivalent of a World Cup. He regularly posted match highlights on social media and filmed motivational videos during pivotal tournaments. Reflecting on one standout performance, he remarked: 

Viva Brazil! Viva Furia! Today, Art is on the hunt, Yuurih is landing headshots, and Kscerato is coming through in the clutch!

In 2023, Neymar attended a CS:GO tournament in Rio de Janeiro and likened the energy to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar: 

Good morning! I didn’t fully feel the World Cup spirit until I witnessed the crowd at the Rio Major. What a party, what an incredible vibe!

Neymar even pursued an ownership stake in the organization: 

He spent years attempting to buy Furia or a portion of it, negotiating and making offers, but Furia turned him down. Now, they’ve formed an official partnership, and it seems Neymar has finally secured his share. He’s been trying for six years.

Neymar's Involvement in Esports Goes Further

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He has competed in exhibition matches with Fallen, Brazil's most iconic esports personality, and mingled with Ukrainian star s1mple. Neymar also shares a strong friendship with Furia CEO Andre Akkari, a professional poker player who carried the Olympic torch in 2016. Neymar often turns to Akkari for poker insights: "He’s exceptionally sharp. He messages me daily about hands and strategies. He’ll send me WhatsApp screenshots of hands from his home games, asking how I’d approach them in a World Series or EPT tournament."

With Neymar’s leadership and dedication to gaming, Furia is set to create a significant impact in the expanding realm of media football and esports entertainment.