- The Argentinian football star is entering esports through the organization
- “It is an honor that he is part of KRÜ,” said the org’s founder Sergio Agüero
- This move will likely bring in many football fans into esports
After seeing big growth over the past couple of years, Argentinian esports organization KRÜ brought in world-famous footballer Lionel Messi as the new co-owner.
Messi Becomes Co-Owner
As esports grows ever more popular, more and more traditional sports organizations and stars tend to look at the entertainment medium and enter it one way or another. This also seems true for world-renowned football legend Lionel Messi as the star has become the co-owner of Argentine organization KRÜ Esports.
With this, one of the most famous sporting public figures in the world enters esports, which is a pivotal moment in history for the industry. The news was broken by the founder of KRÜ, Sergio Agüero, who is also a popular, albeit retired, football player from Argentina.
An interesting point about the founder of KRÜ is that he started streaming during the Covid-19 lockdowns and ever since has invested in the esports space. In 2020, he founded the organization, which has quickly become one of the most influential LATAM esports organizations. KRÜ fields rosters in VALORANT, being a partner team for VCT Americas, and also has a female team, KRÜ Blaze, in VCT Changers: LATAM.
“I am happy to share a club with Leo, albeit in a new stage and with new challenges. It is an honor that he is part of KRÜ,” Agüero said in a blog post about Messi becoming co-owner of his organization. “He is the greatest football player in history and also a great friend. His presence is significant because it embodies values such as perseverance, humility, and resilience. He is a figure that inspires everyone and will be a great contribution to the scene in general.”
The blog post also talked about how the KRÜ’s aim from its inception was to be a bridge between the different regions and fields of sports. “That is the essence of KRÜ: creating community, being a true club, generating content and entertainment. A brand that speaks to young people with different interests,” the blog post reads.
Considering the rapid growth KRÜ has seen as an organization over the past couple of years, it should not be surprising that it is turning towards big names like Messi for co-ownership. KRÜ also has partnerships with big companies, such as payment card services VISA, clothing brand Puma, streaming media service Disney+, as well as esports analytics provider Shikenso, which recently entered a strategic partnership with NiP.
With Messi joining the organization, it is inevitable that his popularity will see KRÜ gain a massive audience boost. It could also see many football fans get into esports as well.
