FURIA and KRÜ Esports have confirmed their participation in The Soccer Tournament (TST), a 7v7 football competition held in Cary, North Carolina. Scheduled for 27 May to 1 June 2026, the event features a $1 million winner-take-all prize and serves as a significant crossover between the worlds of high-level athletics and digital entertainment.

The organisations will field teams alongside former professionals from the Premier League and Bundesliga, as well as representatives from major global brands.

The entry of FURIA FC follows the organisation’s successful expansion into football through the Kings League, the 7-a-side football league founded by former professional football player Gerard Piqué. Joining them in the competition is KRÜ FC, the football arm of KRÜ Esports. Co-owned by football stars Sergio Agüero and Lionel Messi, the organisation returns to TST with Agüero expected to lead the team.

“Taking FURIA to the TST is another step in building our vision for FURIA Football,” said Cris Guedes, FURIA’s Co-owner and head of the organisation’s football division. “We have always believed that our brand can go beyond esports, connecting performance, entertainment, and passion across different territories… it reinforces our ambition to represent Brazil on major international stages.”

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The participation of these esports powerhouses reflects an industry trend where competitive gaming brands are diversifying into “sportainment” and physical athletics, like Karmine Corp‘s move towards basketball, the Kings League has become a primary vehicle for this convergence; in early 2026, paiN Gaming announced a partnership with the Desimpedidos crew to form DesimpaiN, joining other esports-led franchises like G2 (Germany) and Fluxo (Brazil) in the Piqué-founded circuit. Esports figures like streamer Alexandre “Gaules” Borba are also present with teams at Kings League.

This shift is mirrored in recent initiatives like Red Bull Coded Cleats, a hybrid format debuting in Dallas that requires teams to compete on the pitch and the console simultaneously. As the lines between the stadium and the screen dissolve, professional football clubs are also deepening their esports ties. Team Liquid’s partnership with Sunderland AFC and Evil Geniuses’ collaboration with Austin FC highlight how legacy sports brands are using esports to build community and secure long-term loyalty.

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