Lionel Messi made global news recently after winning a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or award after leading his country to a second World Cup title last winter. Little had the fanfare around that event reduced that he has returned to the spotlight once again, this time exiting the global esports community.
On November 7, KRÜ Esports owner Sergio Aguero announced via social media that his good friend and former international teammate had come on board as a co-owner. The ex-Manchester City and Argentina forward noted in the clip that "I am not the owner of KRU hereon as there are two of us," as it then panned to Leo Messi saying:
"Ok, let's play."
Interestingly, Sergio Aguero — who had to unfortunately retire early from football due to a heart condition — jumped into the esports world even before he left behind his playing career on the pitch. He founded KRÜ Esports in late 2020 when still playing for Manchester City, fueled by his increased interest in live-streaming on Twitch during the three-month football break due to the coronavirus pandemic the same year.
Ahora somos 2#VamoAJugar ???? pic.twitter.com/DZjf4awrt0
— KRÜ Esports (@KRUesports) November 7, 2023
The 35-year-old ended as the fastest-growing streamer on the purple platform in May, hitting 1M followers pretty quickly. He is also the chairperson of the men's team in the highly-publicized quasi-football tournament, Kings League, started by former Barcelona star Gerard Piqué and the legendary Spanish streamer ibai.
More about KRU Esports
Founded on October 15, 2020, this Argentina-based esports org currently fields rosters in Rocket League and Valorant while boasting of now-disbanded sides in League of Legends and FIFA. With a branch based out of Barcelona, the firm has built deep roots with the Hispanic community, especially thanks to a content creation team that has managed to connect with people at the grassroots level.
KRÜ Esports’ Valorant rosters have, especially, captured the imaginations of fans across Argentina and the broader Spanish-speaking community, winning various tournaments and establishing itself as a regional force in a short period. The male team has so far won a total of $346K in prize money while its female sides have earned $36K.
The men's unit has participated in prominent events like the Valorant Champions, VCT Americas League, and VCT Masters. The women, meanwhile, have been far more successful in terms of results, winning most of its competitions, including the VCT 2023: Game Changers LATAM - Final and the VCT 2023: Game Changers LAS. They also finished in the top ten at the VCT 2022: Game Changers Championship.
The Rocket League roster, meanwhile, has been busy participating in lots of tournaments and winning quite a few, including the RLCS 2022-23 - Spring: SAM Regional 3 - Spring Invitational, and finished in the top 12 at the RLCS 2022-23 - World Championship. In all, the unit has been able to pocket around $119K in prize earnings.
The company's streamer team has also done a great job in making it one of the most followed online, especially among Spanish audiences. Lionel Messi's inclusion will only add to this hype and excitement, and with more consistent performances in the arena, KRÜ has a chance to become one of the eminent LATAM names in modern competitive esports.
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