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 an “amazing experience”. .
Jota, an avid player and investor in the international sports organization Galaxy Racer, watched all the action on Riyadh City Boulevard as he competed in the finals of the “Dota2 Riyadh Masters” and “Counter- Strike 2” teams.
The eight-week Esports World Cup features a cross-game format pitting elite clubs and players against each other in 22 tournaments in 21 lead-up games.
Held inside the 8,000-capacity Saudi Esports Federation Stadium in Riyadh Boulevard City, it will run until August 25 and has a $60 million pool, the largest in the history of the sport.
The striker, who has 42 caps and played for Portugal at UEFA Euro 2024 this summer, met the stars in attendance, including from Saudi Arabia's Team Falcons, and arguing with stories about games and esports.
Jota said: “Being here at the Esports World Cup is an amazing experience. The organization and scale of this event is really impressive, more than I could have imagined.
“I've always believed in the potential of esports, even before I started my own team, and the EWC is proof that this field is developing quickly. This level of investment and infrastructure is what it needs. esports to grow and reach a wider audience.
“I'm excited to see EWC continue to evolve and push the edge of competitive play.”
Jota, who wears the number 20 for Liverpool, is the world number one in the FIFA Champions League 21 rankings. A regular player on Twitch, he has also received a series of invitations to 'the FIFA game, run by the Premier League, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Then, a Wolverhampton Wanderers player, Jota 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 — under the Galaxy Racer umbrella.
Prior to this, Diogo Jota Esports participated in the FIFAe finals at Gamers8, organized by the Saudi Esports Federation, in Riyadh City Boulevard, last summer, where Daniel “DFernandes” Fernandes made the top 16.
More than 1,500 players, from over 60 countries, battle it out in the Esports World Cup. The third week of the tournament features events in the “Dota2 Riyadh Masters”, “Counter Strike 2”, and “PUBG Mobile” tournaments.
