Liverpool forward Diogo Jota stood out at the ongoing Esports World Cup in Riyadh on Sunday.
The tournament, dubbed the world’s largest gaming and esports festival, will run through August 25 at Boulevard Riyadh City.
Jota was overjoyed with what he saw on Sunday, calling it “a truly amazing experience”. The Portuguese striker, who was last seen at Euro 2024, met with esports players from Saudi Arabia’s Team Falcons and shared gaming and esports experiences.
Jota is an avid gamer who has invested in the global esports organisation Galaxy Racer.
He was ranked top on the FIFA 21 Champions Leaderboard. He is also a Twitch streamer who won an invitation to a series of Premier League FIFA matches held during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also founded his own esports team, Diogo Jota Esports, which was then renamed Luna Galaxy and is now known as Galaxy Racer.
Jota said, “Being here at the inaugural Esports World Cup is a very wonderful experience. This event’s organisation and scale far exceeded my expectations. I’ve always believed in esports’ potential, even before I started my own squad, and EWC proves how swiftly this scene is growing. This kind of funding and infrastructure is exactly what esports need to grow and attract a broader audience.”I’m excited to see how EWC progresses and pushes the limits of competitive gaming.
The inaugural Esports World Cup in Riyadh will include more than 1,500 players from 60 different countries.
The eight-week event features a unique cross-game format that pits the world’s greatest teams and players against one another in 22 global leagues and 21 top games.
The event will take place at the SEF (Saudi Esports Federation) Arena on Boulevard Riyadh City, which has a capacity of over 8,000 people. The tournament’s $60 million prize pool is thought to be the largest in esports history.