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Over the years, we have seen several popular athletes, including footballers, tennis players, and so on, invest and take part in the upper management of esports teams. On that note, 2023 has been quite eventful for numerous esports teams and genres. Though not as popular as traditional sports, the niche popularity for esports has been growing slowly and has a bright future.
This article will discuss in detail the involvement of football stars in popularizing esports in recent years. For a detailed brief, read below.
Lionel Messi, Vini Jr., and three other football players who joined esports teams
1) Lionel Messi
Football superstar Lionel Messi astonished the esports scene when he announced his co-ownership of KRU Esports in 2023. The organization was founded by his former teammate Sergio Aguero, who boasts a history with notable teams like Barcelona and Manchester City.
The two are now co-owners, and the team has seen massive success in their ventures, mostly around Riot's popular 5v5 shooter, Valorant, and Rocket League, among other games.
Based on Argentinian soil, KRU has been developing young talents and widening its grasp on the country's esports scene. The massive support from both these co-owners has undoubtedly been one of the most prominent factors leading to the organization's success.
2) David Beckham
While some would think co-owning two football teams, Inter Miami and Salford City, would be too much, David Beckham begs to differ. Launched in 2020, Guild is a British organization where the famous football star shares co-ownership with other investors.
The organization thrives in the esports competition, mainly for games like Valorant, Rocket League, Fortnite, and Street Fighter 6. The team has a massive fan following and has seen waves of success, notably securing victory in the Rocket League Championship Series EU Spring Regional.
3) Gerard Piqué
Retired in 2021, Gerard Piqué might have been done with football, but he has launched KOI with renowned Spanish streamer Ibai. This shook up the esports scene as a new Spanish team made its way into the competitive ladder of esports games.
KOI saw swift success and grabbed its spot in the Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) 2023. The team has proved their mettle to the world after initially competing in the Spanish regional League of Legends competition.
Furthermore, KOI has also delved into other esports games, such as Rainbow Six Siege, Valorant, and Rocket League; however, they have yet to win notable titles in these games.
4) Vinicius Jr.
Vinicus Jr, a football star from Real Madrid, officially signed up to be part of Brazil's LOUD Esports. LOUD has been considered one of the biggest teams leading the esports revolution in the world. Not only does the team have a great history of winning esports titles, but they also fashion a massive network of content creators.
LOUD Esports has also been named the Best Esports Team in multiple award shows, such as the Esports Awards and The Game Awards 2022.
With Vinicus Jr.'s arrival, the esports team is ready to expand its horizon and popularize competitive gaming from the grassroots level.
5) David de Gea
Since his retirement, Manchester United's trusted old goalkeeper, David de Gea, has delved into the esports scene. Though the footballer always shared a hobby for competitive gaming with an active football career, there had been no prospect for this avid gamer to make any move towards this goal.
However, in 2021, David de Gea launched his esports team and franchise, Rebels Gaming. He shares co-ownership with his former teammates, Bruno Fernandes and Juan Mata.
Rebels Gaming has competed at regional esports events across multiple games, such as Valorant, League of Legends, and Rainbow Six Siege.
For more news about esports teams, stay tuned to Sportskeeda.
