RIYADH: Liverpool and Portugal footballer Diego Jota, who took part in the Sports World Cup in Riyadh on Sunday, described the world's biggest gaming festival as a “truly amazing experience”.
Jota, an avid gamer and investor in multinational e-sports organization Galaxy Racer, watched all the action on Riyadh City Boulevard as teams competed in the finals of the Dota2 Riyadh Masters and Counter-Strike 2 tournaments.
The eight-week Esports World Cup has a unique cross-over structure that pits the top clubs and players against each other in 22 competitions across 21 leading games.
The tournament, which will be held at the 8,000-seat Saudi Sports Federation Hall on Riyad Boulevard, runs until August 25 and has a prize pool of $60 million, the largest in the history of the sport.
The forward, who has 42 caps and played for Portugal at Euro 2024 this summer, met the participating stars, including Saudi Arabia's Falcons, and happily swapped gaming and esports stories.
Jota said: “It's really an amazing experience to be at the opening of the Esports World Cup. The organization and scale behind this event is truly impressive, even more so than I anticipated.
I've always believed in the potential of eSports, even before starting 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 Liverpool's number 20, has been ranked number one in the world in the FIFA 21 Champions League. A regular streamer on Twitch, he won a FIFA tournament series run by the Premier League during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jota then beat Wolverhampton Wanderers' future Liverpool team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold in the final.
Last year, Jota's own esports organization, Diogo Jota Esports, rebranded as Luna Galaxy – under the Galaxy Racer umbrella.
Previously, Diogo Jota Esports participated in the FIFAe Finals at Gamers8 hosted by the Saudi Arabian Sports Federation on Riyadh Boulevard last summer, with Daniel “DFernandes” Fernandes finishing in the top 16.
More than 1,500 players from more than 60 nationalities battle it out in the inaugural World Sports Cup. The third week of the competition includes action in the Dota2 Riyadh Masters, Counter Strike 2 and PUBG Mobile tournaments.
