Know some examples of football players who bet on esports.
Not even football players resist joining the esports universe. There are several examples of names that invest in clubs, but there are many others that have decided to create their own teams in recent times.
The esports market is constantly growing, so many people believe that it will surpass that of certain national sports. In fact, it's hard not to believe that, not least because there are facts and studies that clearly show the size of the industry.
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There are numbers that can prove this size. In 2021, for example, the Free Fire World Series in Singapore peaked at 5.41 million viewers. In League of Legends, the Worlds Championship reached 4 million in this stat. However, if we count on data from China, noted producer Riot, there was a departure to exceed a peak of 70 million.
With the constant growth of the area, there are football players who enter esports during their career. As you can see in this list, even so, there are many others who are betting on the industry after the retirement im the traditional sport.
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Ronaldinho Gaucho: R10
Trained at Grêmio and with stints at clubs like Barcelona, Ronaldinho Gaúcho is not indifferent to esports and has his home in this industry at R10. The team of the famous Brazilian player is essentially dedicated to FIFA and in he has names like Paulo "PHzin" Henrique. It was this same athlete who, alongside Brazil, lifted the FIFAe Nations 2022 Cup and who, in March, won eLibertadores with the club's jersey. R10 didn't stop there and recently bet on a GTA RP
R10 has a strong presence in FIFA (Instagram R10)
Casemiro: Case
Based in Madrid, Case Esports is the organization of the famous player Casemiro. Currently playing for Manchester United, the Brazilian decided to create this team in 2020. Initially focused only on CS:GO, this organization ended up embracing other titles, such as League of Legends or FIFA.
At VALORANT, for example, Case won a stage of VRL Spain: Rising and placed third in the finals of the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Basically, the official website reads, the goal is “to try to be at the forefront of esports.”
Lucas Paquetá: Paquetá
Using his own family name to name the club, Lucas Paquetá decided to enter esports in 2020. Unlike other organizations, the West Ham and Brazilian national team player only bet on CS:GO. Throughout this adventure, and despite having ceased activity at the club for about a year, the Brazilian saw his team winning tournaments such as the two seasons of Aorus League in 2021. Nowadays, the organization counts on Lucas "DeStiNy" Bullo in the squad and in the past has featured players as well known as Lincoln "fnx" Lau.
Kun Aguero: KRU
He hasn't played since 2021, but he's still one of the best-known athletes in Argentina today. Sergio “Kun” Agüero is the name behind KRÜ, an organization that became known around the same time he stopped competing. Despite having only VALORANT and content creator teams, the organization is one of the most established in South America in Riot's FPS.
In the end, we are talking of a team that has been present in all the international VALORANT championships and that shows no signs of slowing down. Interestingly, Agüero's taste for this universe is such that he also likes to stream on Twitch.
KRÜ has a strong presence in VALORANT (Angel Franco/Riot Games)
Emiliano Rigoni: VELOX
Founded in January 2021, VELOX was founded in Spain by the Argentine Emiliano Rigoni, but has already expanded its activity to South America. With passages in clubs like São Paulo, Rigoni is the only investor in the organization and started by betting on a CS:GO team, which continues to be one of the most present games in this house. VELOX didn't stop there, however, and has a VALORANT team, stating that it wants to join other titles.
Gareth Bale: Ellevens Esports
It was in 2020 that the Welshman Gareth Bale revealed the creation of his own club, Ellevens Esports. Like other football players' clubs, this organization has only one FIFA team and another one of content creators on its board. For now, it is not known if there are any intentions to expand to other titles, but, in the case of FIFA, the team has a second place in the Club World Cup in its curriculum.
Mesut Özil: M10
One of the names on this list to bet early on esports, Mesut Özil founded M10 eSports in 2018. The passion for this universe led the player to invest in this organization, but there is more behind this decision: Özil wanted to open doors to young players so they could develop as athletes and as people. On the boards, the M10 has FIFA and Fortnite teams.
Diogo Jota: Diogo Jota Esports
One of the few Portuguese football players with an esports team, Diogo Jota embarked on this universe in 2021. The Liverpool FC athlete already had the Dutch Lev “Lev” Vinken in the project, but today, the team is only represented by Portuguese names, as is the case of João “Jafonsogv” Vasconcelos
Jafonsogv é tido como um dos grandes talentos de Portugal
Ruud Gullit: Team Gullit
This list is also made of football legends. Considered one of the best players ever, Ruud Gullit is one of the many names that bets on FIFA with his Team Gullit. Presented as the first independent FIFA academy, having been founded in 2018, the team is well known worldwide and was even present at the most recent edition of the world cup in Copenhagen.
Nicklas Bendtner: Prosapia
One of Denmark's biggest talents, Nicklas Bendtner is proof that esports investment tends not to stop. Prosapia is the organization created by the former football player and is also the youngest house on this list. Introduced in September 2022, the club is the result of the taste that Bendtner gained for esports during the confinement. Prosapia's focus is on CS:GO and the development of young players.
Other football players who invested in esports
We have already talked about 10 names linked to football who have joined esports, but there are many others that can be mentioned. There are some players who are just investors, like Arthur Melo at 00NATION or David Beckham at Guild, and others who create brands.
With 19esports and No Fuchs Given, respectively, Miguel Layún and Christian Fuchs are two names that chose to found their own club. But not everything is a bed of roses. Antoine Griezmann and Douglas Costa, for example, ended their Grizi Esport and DC Team.
Of course, it's not just football players who bet on esports and there are examples of basketball athletes and many others. Graham Glasgow of the NFL is such a case: the American is an investor and co-owner of Limitless.
