Madrid, April 20 (EFE).- Created by the former soccer player Gerard Piqué and streamer Ibai Llanos, the Kings League finishes the winter season with all seats sold out at the WiZink Center in Madrid, along with entertainment such as a karting competition, live concerts, and other surprises.
With almost all seats sold out within 72 hours of going on sale, Madrid will host the semi-finals and finals of the Kings League (men’s format) and the Queens League (women’s format) for the first time.
Previous finals have taken place at the Camp Nou, the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, the Civitas Metropolitano in Madrid, and La Rosaleda in Málaga.
This show has become a social phenomenon with over 6 million followers on TikTok, 2 million on Instagram, 750,000 on Twitter, and 2.7 million on Twitch.
The tournament is a space where soccer intertwines with video games and social media, combining traditional soccer with special rules closer to video games such as double goals, dice and “secret weapons,” a spectacle that will last all night long.
One of the fans, Paula, tells EFE at the entrance of the WiZink that she has been following the competition since the beginning, she said she likes it as it involves “the use of cards and shootouts (penalty shootouts from the center of the field). Traditional soccer doesn’t have that, and that’s pretty cool.”
Albert, aged 50, comes to see the finals at WiZink because his son Marc Galvany plays on one of the teams, “Sayans” from the streamer “theGrefg:” “What he likes most about the league is the atmosphere on the field among players.”
“Most of the fans are very young, and there is a very healthy atmosphere,” he said.
Before the finals, the show will kick off with a “kart grand prix” on a circuit set up on the field of play, with representatives from each league team participating, including former soccer player Kun Agüero and former MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo.
Musical performances will also fill the night, with artists like Saiko, María Becerra, or The Avengers, as well as a show called “Open shootout VIP,” in which various celebrities and media personalities such as Belén Esteban, actor Jaime Lorente (known for his role in “Money Heist”) or athlete Ana Peleteiro will compete in a penalty shootout tournament.
The Kings League, already held in countries other than Spain, announced in March the creation of a World Cup, the “Kings World Cup,” which will be held from May 26 to June 9, 2024, with Mexico as its first venue.
This World Cup will bring together 32 teams with the participation of soccer figures and legends such as former Roma captain Francesco Totti, Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Brazilian Neymar Junior. EFE
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