RIYADH: Liverpool and Portugal footballer Diogo Jota, who attended the Esports World Cup in Riyadh on Sunday, described the world's biggest gaming festival as a “really amazing experience”.
Jota, an avid gamer and investor in the multinational esports organization Galaxy Racer, watched all the action on Boulevard Riyadh City as the teams battled it out in the finals of the “Dota2 Riyadh Masters” and “Counter-Strike 2” competitions.
The eight-week Esports World Cup offers a unique cross-game structure, pitting the best clubs and players against each other in 22 competitions across 21 major games.
Held at the 8,000-capacity Saudi Esports Federation Arena on Boulevard Riyadh City, it runs until August 25 and has a tournament prize pool of $60 million, the largest in the history of the sport.
The forward, who has 42 caps and played for Portugal at UEFA Euro 2024 this summer, met the stars involved, including Saudi Arabia's Falcons, and happily swapped gaming and esports stories.
Jota said: “Being here at the inaugural World Esports Championship is a truly amazing experience. The organization and scale of this event is truly impressive, even more than I expected.
“I've always believed in the potential of esports, even before I started my own team, and EWC is proof that the scene is rapidly evolving. 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 the number 20 for Liverpool, was world number one in the FIFA 21 Champions Ranking. A regular streamer on Twitch, he also won the Premier League's FIFA Match Series during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wolverhampton Wanderers player Jota then beat future Liverpool team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold in the final.
Last year, Jota's own esports organization, Diogo Jota Esports, was rebranded as Luna Galaxy – falling under the Galaxy Racer umbrella.
Previously, Diogo Jota Esports participated in the FIFAe Finals at Gamers8 hosted 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 from over 60 nationalities battle it out in the inaugural World Esports Championship. The third week of the competition includes events in the “Dota2 Riyadh Masters”, “Counter Strike 2” and “PUBG Mobile” competitions.
