Neymar Joins Furia's Football Roster

On January 31st, Neymar made his return to Santos FC, following a year with Saudi club Al-Hilal. Just a few weeks later, on February 19th, the global football icon announced a partnership with Furia, Brazil's premier esports organization. Appointed as the president of the media football team, Neymar will guide Furia in the forthcoming season of Kings League—a dynamic competition that merges traditional football with esports.

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Neymar's Role Explained Inside the Kings League A History with Furia Neymar's Broader Esports Involvement 0 0 Join the Conversation

Neymar's Role Explained

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Neymar shared his enthusiasm for the new role with Furia, noting his longstanding support for the brand:

My followers know I've been a Furia supporter from the very beginning. Whenever my schedule permits, I'll be actively involved with the team. I'm sure the lineup we put together will deliver strong, consistent performances.

As president, Neymar’s initial responsibility is to build Furia’s squad for the upcoming draft. The Kings League features a 7v7 format, with teams composed of 13 players each. Ten of these are chosen by the team president from a shared pool of 222 participants, with a total of ten teams entering the competition. Beyond roster decisions, Neymar can also take the pitch during matches under the "president penalty" rule.

Inside the Kings League

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Kings League was first introduced in Spain in 2022 by former footballer Gerard Piqué and popular Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, who has amassed 17 million followers on Twitch. Ibai previously worked with global esports organization G2 Esports and co-owned the well-known Spanish team KOI.

Since its debut, the league has expanded into Italy and Central America, with past finals hosted at legendary stadiums such as Camp Nou. Matches are played in two 20-minute halves and include special in-game elements—like the "double goal" power-up, which doubles a team's next score for four minutes, or the option to send an opposing player to the sin bin for the same period.

The Brazilian version of Kings League is set to run from March to April in São Paulo, featuring established clubs Fluxo and Loud, plus a team headed by prominent streamer Gaules, whose broadcasts have attracted over half a million concurrent viewers. The official presentation and draft will be broadcast live on February 24th.

A History with Furia

Neymar has openly cheered for Furia since the organization rose to fame in 2019, the year they qualified for a CS:GO Major—an event comparable to the World Cup in esports. He often posted clips of their matches on social media and recorded motivational videos during key tournament stages. In one memorable clip, he celebrated the team's play:

Vai Brasil! Vai Furia! Today, we’re hunting with Art, getting headshots from Yuurih, and watching Kscerato pull off those epic clutches!

In 2023, Neymar attended a CS:GO Major in Rio de Janeiro and compared the electric environment to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar:

Bom dia! I didn’t feel the full World Cup vibe until I experienced the crowd at the Rio Major. Unbelievable energy and celebration!

Reports also indicate that Neymar had previously tried to purchase a stake in the organization:

For years, he pursued a buy-in or partial ownership, negotiating and making offers, but Furia turned him down. Now they’ve formalized a partnership—it seems Neymar has finally secured his piece of Furia after six years of trying.

Neymar's Broader Esports Involvement

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His engagement with competitive gaming goes beyond Furia. Neymar has participated in exhibition matches alongside Fallen, Brazil's most iconic esports professional, and has mingled with Ukrainian CS:GO legend s1mple. He also maintains a strong personal friendship with Furia CEO Andre Akkari, a professional poker player who carried the Olympic torch in 2016. According to Akkari, Neymar is constantly refining his poker knowledge: “He’s extremely sharp. Almost every day, he asks me about specific hands and strategies. He’ll send me WhatsApp screenshots from his home games, wanting to know how I’d play those hands in a high-stakes WSOP or EPT tournament.”

With Neymar’s leadership and genuine passion for gaming, Furia is well-positioned to thrive in the evolving landscape of media football and esports entertainment.