A football game with double -counted goals, endless substitutions and special powers, such as a “game show”. Teams led by stars of the past and present, “streamers” or artists. 40 -minute duels, without the possibility of draws, with an unusual penalty shootout, which are not exactly penalties.
“It’s football, but it’s not football,” Gerard Piqué described about the concept of Kings League.
Founded by the former defender, with a historic career in Barcelona and world champion with Spain in 2010, the seven football competition, with elements of other sports and rules similar to those of a television program, will have its first edition held in Brazil from March.
The tournament arrives in the country as part of its global expansion project after emerging in Spain in 2023, being replicated in Italy, establishing an edition bringing together teams from the Americas and holding its own World Cup, won by Brazil.
In Brazil, the main enthusiast is former player Kaka. Chosen to be the president of Kings League Brazil, he helped bring together a team formed by names such as Neymar, Gaules, Mason’s Glove and Ludmilla, lineup aligned with the proposal of the Competition of UniR Sport and Entertainment.
The famous preside over four of the ten teams formed for the first Brazilian edition. But their performance should not be limited to being out of the court. As presidents, they can be called to charge penalties.
“Kings League represents a new way to consume football, and I look forward to hosting new fans in our community,” Kaka said.
Last Monday (24), the League held a “draft” in Sao Paulo to form its casts. The teams received an order of choice and selected players from a talent bank.
Inspired by the NBA and NFL – the Basketball and American Football Leagues, respectively -, the model was designed to balance the quality of each team
“It’s a different entertainment, a different football. Kings League brings a certain game, but at the same time, it brings a serious thing. Everyone came to win, the presidents, influencers. We’re here for that,” said Neymar.
The dates or places where games will occur are not yet defined. The regulation itself is being finalized, but must follow the parameters established in the Spanish version.
In Spain, the duel begins without a kick. The ball is placed in the middle, and the teams run toward it to have possession. The substitutions are unlimited. The yellow card means the player needs to leave court for two minutes, and the red card is expulsion, but with the possibility of replacement.
The penalties are charged with rolling ball. There are also letters with special advantages, such as hitting an instant penalty, stealing a letter from the rival, removing an opponent player for two minutes and counting double any goal scored the next minute. The Curinga Letter entitles the coach to choose one of these advantages.
“It’s a circus,” defined Javier Thebes, president of Laliga, an entity that organizes the Spanish Championship.
The Spanish press dealt with the leader’s irony as a sign of concern. At least in relation to the young public, the most attracted to the new modality.
For Thiago Freitas, Roc Nation Sports COO in Brazil, an American entertainment company that agrees career of athletes such as Vinicius Junior and Endrick, football itself has removed younger generations.
“The young people who stopped following football in the last decade have done so for security reasons, stadium discomfort, event pricing, transmission times and competition with streaming, audio and video services,” Freitas said.
Jorge Duarte, Marketing and Sports Manager at Somos Young, a company that operates in the care of club members such as Cruzeiro and Vasco, said that the Kins League format “has come to be” because, in his view, he knew how to understand how new generations consume sports content.
“The young audience is entirely connected to values that Kings League has exercised very well, such as interactions and digital broadcasts, for example,” he said.
In Brazil, the duels will have broadcasts on YouTube and Twitch channels that belong to the clubs involved. There will also be production of short content for Tiktok.
For the “streamer” Gaules, these choices allow faster interaction with the target audience of the league.
“Stream allows you to have a very close relationship with your audience. You are close all the time, you can reap a very fast feedback from those who watch. On TV, for example, you take time to understand what people want,” he said.
Since its inception, Kings League has been considerably popular. According to data provided by the organization itself, Kings World Cup Nations 2025, as the World Cup is called in January, has accumulated 100 million views adding to the various platforms in which their games were broadcast.
