- Attacking footballer, an avid gamer and esports investor, watched all the Dota2 Riyadh Masters and Counter-Strike 2 action and met the esports players
- 'The organization and scale behind this event are truly impressive, even more than I anticipated' – Diogo Jota
- The largest gaming festival in the world runs until August 25 at Boulevard Riyadh City
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 21 July 2024: Diogo Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal footballer, attended the Esports World Cup in Riyadh on Sunday and declared the world's largest gaming and esports festival 'a truly amazing experience'.
Jota, an avid gamer and investor in multinational esports organization Galaxy Racer, watched all the action at Boulevard Riyadh City as teams in the Dota2 Riyadh Masters and Counter-Strike 2 battled it out in their tournaments' finals.
The eight-week long Esports World Cup features a unique cross-game structure pitting the world's top clubs and players against one another across 22 global competitions in 21 leading games. Held within the 8,000-plus capacity SEF (Saudi Esports Federation) Arena at Boulevard Riyadh City, it runs until August 25 and has a tournament prize pool of $60 million – the largest in the history of esports.
The 42-times capped attacker, who played for Portugal at UEFA Euro 2024 this summer, met participating stars, including from Saudi Arabia's Team Falcons, and happily swapped gaming and esports stories.
Jota said: 'Being here at the inaugural Esports World Cup is a truly amazing experience. The organization and scale behind this event are truly impressive, even more than I anticipated. I've always believed in the potential of esports, even before starting my own team, and EWC is proof that this scene is evolving rapidly. This level of investment and infrastructure is exactly what esports needs to grow and reach a wider audience. I'm excited to see how EWC continues to evolve and push the boundaries of competitive gaming.'
Jota, who wears No.20 for Liverpool, was ranked world No. 1 in FIFA 21's Champions Leaderboard. A regular streamer on Twitch, he also won an invitational series of FIFA matches, run by the Premier League, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then a Wolverhampton Wanderers player, Jota defeated future Liverpool team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold in the final.
Last year, Jota's own esports organisation, Diogo Jota Esports, was rebranded to Luna Galaxy – coming under the Galaxy Racer umbrella.
Prior to this, Diogo Jota Esports participated in the FIFAe Finals at Gamers8, organized by the Saudi Esports Federation, at Boulevard Riyadh City last summer, with Daniel 'DFernandes' Fernandes finishing in the top 16.
More than 1,500 players, representing over 60 nationalities, are battling it out at the inaugural Esports World Cup. Week three of competition features elite action in the Dota2 Riyadh Masters, Counter Strike 2, and PUBG Mobile.
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