Gerard Pique introduces new era of football gaming to MENA region

RIYADH: Football legend and former Barcelona player Gerard Pique is bringing Kings League, the game that revolutionized online football gaming, to the Middle East and North Africa region, with Saudi Arabia at its heart.

The Spanish defender inaugurated Kings League MENA last night as part of the ongoing Esports World Cup, where the new team presidents from the region were also announced.

Pique started Kings League in Spain in 2023, and after a successful first launch has since expanded to other leagues worldwide including Italy, Brazil, Japan, France, Germany, Hispanic America, and the US.

On how he envisions the Kings League gaming community to look like in the MENA region, Pique told Arab News: “Very young, very motivated, very committed to the product and the project.

“I’m sure that there will be a lot of intensity, a lot of clashes (between streamer fans), this is what we want.

“We want them to care and want to win, and that they dedicate everything they have to winning.”

The unconventional seven-a-side football game was designed with younger audiences in mind, adding more creativity and free reign with secret weapons or “golden cards,” unlimited substitutions, sin bins, and penalty shoot-outs after every draw.

Kings League was also created in a way that brings together fans with their most beloved content creators and streamers taking the role of team presidents in each region.

The MENA teams and their presidents were announced to be SXB FC, led by Ahmed Alqahtani from Saudi Arabia, Ultra Chmicha led by Morroccan Ilyas Elmaliki, Red Zone led by Jordanian Maher Sultaneh, 3BS led by Jordanian Hani AlQoublam, FWZ FC led by Kuwaiti Fawaz Hamad, Turbo led by Egyptian Saleh Tarboun, and DR7 led by Saudi streamer