On January 31, Neymar made a triumphant return to Santos FC after a one-year stint with Al-Hilal. Just weeks later, on February 19, the global football icon announced a groundbreaking partnership with Furia, Brazil’s leading esports organization. In his new role as president of the media football team, Neymar is set to lead Furia into the upcoming season of Kings League—a revolutionary hybrid tournament that merges traditional football with competitive gaming elements.

What Will Neymar Do?

Neymar expressed his enthusiasm about joining Furia, highlighting his long-time support for the brand:

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 team president, Neymar's first responsibility is to build Furia’s roster for the upcoming draft. The Kings League follows a 7v7 format, with each team composed of 13 players. Out of these, 10 are handpicked by the president from a shared pool of 222 participants. A total of 10 teams will compete in the Brazilian edition of the league. Beyond selection duties, Neymar can also participate in live matches through the “president penalty” rule, which allows him to join the game during critical moments.

What Is Kings League?

The Kings League was launched in Spain in 2022 and co-founded by former Barcelona star Gerard Piqué and top Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, who commands a massive 17 million followers on Twitch. Ibai previously collaborated with G2 Esports and co-owned the popular Spanish team KOI.

Since its inception, the league has expanded to Italy and Central America, hosting major finals at legendary venues such as Camp Nou. Matches follow a fast-paced 2x20-minute format and feature unique gameplay mechanics like the “double goal” bonus—where a team’s next score counts double for four minutes—or the ability to temporarily remove an opponent from play for the same duration.

The Brazilian edition of Kings League will be held in São Paulo between March and April, featuring powerhouse teams like Fluxo and Loud, along with a squad led by renowned streamer Gaules, whose broadcasts have attracted over 500,000 concurrent viewers. The official presentation and player draft will be broadcast live on February 24.

Neymar's Longstanding Connection to Furia

Neymar has been a passionate supporter of Furia since their breakthrough moment in 2019 when they qualified for a CS:GO Major—an achievement equivalent to reaching the World Cup in traditional football. He regularly shared highlights of their matches on social media and recorded messages cheering them on during pivotal tournaments. One standout moment came when he celebrated their 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 compared the electrifying atmosphere to 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 had even pursued a financial stake in the organization for years:

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

Beyond Furia, Neymar has participated in exhibition matches alongside Fallen, Brazil’s most decorated esports figure, and interacted with Ukrainian CS:GO legend s1mple. He also shares a strong bond with Furia CEO Andre Akkari, a professional poker player who carried the Olympic torch in 2016. Neymar frequently seeks Akkari’s insights 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, charisma, and deep-rooted passion for gaming, Furia is positioned to become a dominant force in the rapidly growing world of media football and esports entertainment.