RIYADH: Liverpool and Portugal footballer Diogo Jota, who attended the Esports World Cup in Riyadh on Sunday, has declared the world's biggest gaming festival “a truly amazing experience.”
Jota, an avid gamer and investor in multinational e-sports organization Galaxy Racer, saw all the action at Boulevard Riyadh City as the teams competed in the finals of the 'Dota2 Riyadh Masters' and 'Counter-Strike 2' competitions.
The eight-week Esports World Cup has a unique cross-game structure that pits the top clubs and players against each other in 22 competitions in 21 leading matches.
Held within 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 sport's history.
The forward, who has 42 caps and 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 is truly impressive, even more than I expected.
“I've always believed in the potential of eSports, even before starting my own team, and EWC is proof that this scene is developing quickly. 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 ranked No.1 in the world in FIFA 21's Champions Leaderboard. A regular streamer on Twitch, he also won a 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 organization, Diogo Jota Esports, was renamed Luna Galaxy – under the Galaxy Racer umbrella.
Prior to that, 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, of over 60 nationalities, battle it out in the first Esports World Cup. Week three of the competition features action in the 'Dota2 Riyadh Masters', 'Counter Strike 2' and 'PUBG Mobile' competitions.
