The eSports community was once again graced by a legend yesterday. The eighth-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi became the co-owner of KRU Esports, the gaming franchise formed by fellow Argentine Kun Aguero in 2020. Only last week, the World Cup winner stunned the world with his latest achievement in the French capital over rising superstars including Erling Haaland and Mbappe. Now, the former Barcelona star looks to expand his horizons in newer territories.

With the soccer phenom’s step over into the world of Esports, the gaming industry will expect another wave of fans to come over. While Messi’s involvement in the former Manchester City legend’s gaming team is definitely something for gamers to celebrate, he’s not the only soccer star to have his fingers in the gaming pie.

Esports is currently booming. With that, more and more popular faces from other sectors are looking to make the most out of the latest trend. Justifiably, Esports is at the center of attention thanks to the increasing number of international high-stakes tournaments across the globe. In recent years, a long list of soccer stars have professed their love for gaming and Esports. Some of the biggest stars in the game have started their own franchises and here are the most notable ones below!

Ruud Gullit

The former Dutch player and manager is rightfully considered a legend of the game by many soccer connoisseurs. Gullit formed the FIFA Esports franchise, Team Gullit, in 2018. The team is focused on finding and developing talents rather than simply signing up for tournaments around the world. Its goal is to develop future talent in FIFA, which has led to the team having multiple soccer-centric collaborations. Some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Ajaz, have signed partnerships with Team Gullit.

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Team Gullit is more like an academy that nurtures talent in order to benefit the overall quality of Esports in general.

David Beckham

The former Manchester United and England poster boy, Beckham, has been knee-deep in Esports for quite some time. After the British Esports franchise Guild Esports was announced in 2020, Beckham soon became a co-owner of the team. Guild Esports has collaborated with the British broadcasting giants Sky Sports and Hyper X among other notable ones. The team also has a state-of-the-art training facility that also functions as an academy where future players are developed.

Among the notable competitive titles where Guild Esports partakes are CS:GO, Rocket League, Valorant, and FIFA.

Gerard Pique

Another former Barcelona player, and Messi’s teammate, announced his prolific entry into the gaming world in 2021. The Spanish international also has his own 7-side soccer league and is determined to dabble in other areas as well. The former defender joined hands with Ibai Llanos, a Spanish streamer, to launch KOI two years ago. And now, KOI has become a well-known name in competitive tournaments for Valornat and Rainbow Six Seige.

David De Gea

Former Manchester United goalkeeper stated it was a “dream come true“, after launching Rebels Gaming in 2021. Since its launch, the franchise has been highly active in regional-level tourneys. However, David De Gea aims to make the team bigger in the coming days s they vie for a spot and major League of Legends and Valorant competitions.

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Last year, De Gea’s two colleagues, Bruno Fernandes and Juant Mata, have also joined the franchise as shareholders.

Thibaut Courtois

The former Chelsea player and Real Madrid legend got his break in the gaming industry after investing in the Mexican Esports franchise DUX Gaming in 2020. The team mainly competes in FIFA and NBA 2K, making the investment a reasonable decision by the Belgian.

DUX Gaming is also heavily involved in both men’s and women’s soccer and owns two teams in multiple Spanish leagues.

Cesar Azpilicueta

While still playing the role of the team captain at Chelsea, Cesar Azpilicueta founded Falcons in 2020. The Spanish international’s franchise now has competitive teams playing in FIFA and Valorant tournaments. Azpilicueta’s organization currently is also a notable name in the second tier of the Spanish League of Legends called SuperLiga 2nd Division.

Casemiro

Another Manchester United and former Real Madrid player, Casemiro, has his own Esports franchise named Case Esports. The organization was formed while he was still one of the pivotal characters fans waited to watch in El Classico matches. Casemiro’s involvement has also helped the franchise attract major sponsors from around the world.

Case Esports competes in regional levels of tournaments including in games like Valorant, FIFA, and CS:GO.

Virgil Van Dijk

The Dutch international and Liverpool’s pillar of defense is known for his quirky style. For someone like Van Dijk, gaming isn’t something that’s off-limits and obviously, he would want a piece of the action. Van Dijk is a major shareholder in Tundra, a British Esports organization. Established in 2019, Tundra has carved a following for itself with its performance in FIFA, Dota 2, and Fortnite. Van Dijk’s involvement in Tundra is based on his assistance to the franchise to attain its business goals.

Which soccer star would you want to have his own Esports team and why? Tell us in the comments.

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