RIYADH: Liverpool and Portugal footballer Diogo Jota, who attended the Esports World Cup in Riyadh on Sunday, called the world's biggest gaming festival “a truly amazing experience”.
Jota, an avid gamer and investor in multinational sports organization Galaxy Racer, watched all the action from Riyadh City Boulevard as the teams contested the finals of the 'Dota2 Riyadh Masters' and 'Counter-Strike 2' competitions.
The eight-week Esports World Cup has a unique cross-play structure that pits top clubs and players against each other in 22 competitions across 21 top games.
Held at the 8,000-capacity Saudi Esports Federation Arena on Boulevard Riyadh City, it runs until August 25 and has a 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 games and sports 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 we anticipated.
“I've always believed in the potential of esports, even before I started my own team, and EWC is proof that this scene is rapidly evolving. This level of investment and infrastructure is exactly what sports 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 the FIFA 21 Champions League. A regular streamer on Twitch, he also won an invitational series of FIFA matches, led by the Premier League, during the COVID pandemic -19.
Then a Wolverhampton Wanderers player, Jota beat future Liverpool teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold in the final.
Last year, Jota's own esports organization Diogo Jota Esports was rebranded as Luna Galaxy – coming under the Galaxy Racer umbrella.
Prior to this, Diogo Jota Esports participated in the Saudi Esports Federation's Gamers8 FIFAe Finals at Boulevard Riyadh City last summer, with Daniel “DFernandes” Fernandes finishing in the top 16.
Over 1,500 players from over 60 nationalities battle it out in the inaugural Esports World Cup. The third week of the competition features action in the 'Dota2 Riyadh Masters', 'Counter Strike 2' and 'PUBG Mobile' contests.
