Kings League, a global 7-a-side football league founded by former FC Barcelona player Gerard Piqué, has announced a strategic pause of its domestic Spanish competition until 2027, triggering an organisational restructuring despite reporting a massive 35% year-on-year revenue surge to €66 million for the 2025–2026 cycle.
As reported by Spanish business outlet 2Playbook and expanded upon via direct corporate disclosures, the company has initiated an employment regulation file (ERE) to downsize 41 operational and production roles out of its 125-person staff in Barcelona as it shifts away from continuous local event structures.
While not a traditional esports property, this structural pause is drawing close attention from the esports sector due to the high volume of top-tier organisations heavily invested in the league, which became a digital entertainment phenomenon. Elite traditional esports organisations, including G2 Esports (operating G2 FC in Germany) alongside prominent Brazilian powerhouses FURIA, LOUD, Fluxo W7M, and paiN Gaming, actively field rosters or maintain franchise partnerships across the league’s regional layers.
The league also relies heavily on the audience capital of tier-one streaming personalities like Movistar KOI Co-owner Ibai Llanos (owner of Porcinos FC) and Counter-Strike 2 broadcasting giant Alexandre “Gaules“ Borba (G3X FC).
In an official statement provided to The Esports Radar, Kings League detailed its forward-facing strategy: “The company is currently developing a significant evolution of its competition ecosystem for 2027, including a new international club competition bringing together teams from across its global leagues.”
“To support this next stage of development, Kings League is implementing an organisational restructuring affecting roles in Spain, and aligning resources with the future needs of the business.”
Global activations will also continue throughout the remainder of this year, headlined by the Kings World Cup Clubs in Italy this summer. After further investigation, The Esports Radar learned that, with a remaining core team of 84 staff members in Spain, the organisation plans to sign new workforce once the overhauled, tournament-style Spanish format officially launches in 2027.
Findings by TER also signaled that the ongoing European restructuring will have no operational impact on Kings League Brazil, where independent tournament operations remain fully intact and competitive fixtures are scheduled to resume in the second half of 2026.
To 2Playbook, Chief Executive Officer Djamel Agaoua added that the upcoming format will shift toward a short-form, high-intensity structure inspired by the knockout dynamics of the US collegiate basketball tournament March Madness, designed to maximise digital media engagement and push for an expansion into the United States.
Read below the full statement issued by the Kings League:
“Kings League is entering a new phase following its initial period of rapid international expansion over the past three years.
The company is currently developing a significant evolution of its competition ecosystem for 2027, including a new international club competition bringing together teams from across its global leagues.
To support this next stage of development, Kings League is implementing an organisational restructuring affecting roles in Spain, and aligning resources with the future needs of the business. The changes primarily affect operational functions linked to the delivery of events, reflecting the evolution of Kings League’s competition calendar and operating model, as well as the increasing capabilities of the organisation across its international markets.
The last three years have allowed us to validate the product globally and learn what drives fan engagement, creator participation, and commercial value. We will now use those learnings to develop the next iteration of the product.
Kings League competitions and events will continue in 2026, including the Kings World Cup Clubs in Italy this summer, while preparations continue for further international growth in 2027 and beyond.
The objective is to build a more focused and scalable organisation capable of supporting Kings League’s long-term global ambitions.“
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