RIYADH: Liverpool and Portugal footballer Diego Hota, who attended the eSports World Cup in Riyadh on Sunday, described the world's biggest gaming festival as a “really 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 battled it out in the finals of the Dota2 Riyadh Masters and Counter-Strike 2 competitions.
The eight-week eSports World Championship features a unique cross-play structure that pits the best clubs and players against each other in 22 events across 21 main games.
It takes place at the 8,000-capacity Saudi Esports Federation Arena on Riyadh Boulevard and will run until August 25, with a $60 million prize pool for the tournament, the largest in sports history.
The forward, who made 42 appearances for Portugal at Euro 2024 this summer, met the participating stars, including from Saudi Arabia's Team Falcons, and was happy to exchange gaming and esports stories.
Giotto said: “Being here at the first eSports World Championship is a really amazing experience. The organization and scale of this event is really 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 the scene is growing fast. This level of investment and infrastructure is exactly what eSports needs to grow and reach a wider audience.
“I'm excited to see EWC continue to evolve and push the boundaries of competitive gaming.”
Jota, who wears the number 20 for Liverpool, topped the FIFA 21 Champion Rankings. A regular streamer on Twitch, he also won the Premier League's FIFA Invitational Series during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time, 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 renamed Luna Galaxy — under the umbrella of Galaxy Racer.
Prior to this, Diogo Jota Esports competed in the FIFAe Finals at Gamers8, hosted by the Saudi Arabian eSports Federation, at Riyadh City Boulevard last summer, with Daniel “DFernandes” Fernandes finishing in the top 16.
More than 1,500 players from over 60 nationalities compete in the first eSports World Championship. The third week of competition includes action in the Dota2 Riyadh Masters, Counter Strike 2 and PUBG Mobile competitions.
