Messi, Michael Jordan and the sports stars investing in esports

The Esports World Cup is proof of that rise. Now entering its third year, the event has grown into something bigger than a tournament alone, combining elite competition with a wider festival built around gaming, entertainment and global sports culture.

Traditional sport has noticed, with World Cup winners, NBA legends and other sporting superheroes all looking to get a piece of the action.

Here are some of the sports stars who have backed competitive gaming.

Sergio Aguero - KRÜ Esports

Sergio Aguero is one of the clearest examples of a traditional sports star building something serious in esports.

The former Manchester City, Barcelona and Argentina striker founded KRÜ Esports in 2020, with the organisation going on to become one of the most recognisable names in Latin American competitive gaming.

KRÜ has been particularly associated with VALORANT, where the team helped grow the region's presence on the global stage.

Lionel Messi - KRÜ Esports

Robin Alam/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images

Lionel Messi later joined Aguero at KRÜ Esports as co-owner, making it one of the most eye-catching athlete-backed teams in gaming.

Messi and Aguero were long-time Argentina teammates, and their partnership has continued away from football through esports.

For KRÜ, Messi's involvement added another level of mainstream sporting attention to an already ambitious organisation.

Michael Jordan - Team Liquid/aXiomatic

NBA

Michael Jordan entered the esports industry in 2018 by investing in aXiomatic Gaming, the parent company of Team Liquid, one of the world's most successful esports organisations.

Jordan joined an investment group that injected $26 million into the company, becoming a co-owner alongside several high-profile investors from traditional sport and business.

Through Team Liquid, his investment spans some of competitive gaming's biggest titles, including League of Legends, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike.

The move demonstrated that one of basketball's greatest figures viewed esports not as a passing trend, but as a long-term investment in the future of sports entertainment.

Shaquille O'Neal - NRG Esports

Shaquille O'Neal was one of the earliest superstar athletes to back esports, becoming an investor in NRG Esports in 2016.

The NBA Hall of Famer has long had an affinity with gaming, having starred in the 1994 video game Shaq Fu before returning for its 2018 sequel, Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn.

O'Neal has explained that his decision to invest came after attending an esports tournament with his children, where he was struck by both the atmosphere and the scale of the audience.

Today, NRG competes across several major titles, including Rocket League, Apex Legends, VALORANT and Counter-Strike, and remains one of North America's best-known esports organisations.

David Beckham - Guild Esports

(Getty Images)

David Beckham became one of the most recognisable figures to enter esports when he joined Guild Esports as a founding shareholder and global ambassador.

His involvement helped the British organisation establish itself as one of the UK's highest-profile esports brands, bringing mainstream sporting attention to competitive gaming.

Although Guild Esports ceased operations in 2025 following financial challenges and wider economic pressures, Beckham's investment represented another significant moment in the growing relationship between traditional sport and esports.

Why are sports stars investing in esports?

The appeal is clear.

Esports offers access to a young, global and digitally native audience. For athletes who have already built major personal brands, gaming provides another way to stay connected to fans and invest in the future of sports entertainment.

The Esports World Cup has only strengthened that crossover.

With elite teams, major prize money and global attention, esports is now operating on a scale that traditional sports fans can easily understand. For athletes who grew up competing at the highest level, the attraction of owning or backing a team in another high-performance environment is obvious.

Esports is no longer separate from the sporting world. Increasingly, it is becoming part of the same conversation.

How to watch the Esports World Cup on DAZN 

Fans can watch the Esports World Cup 2026 live and for free on DAZN throughout the seven-week competition. 

This is available on the DAZN app across a wide range of devices, including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles, or watch through any web browser at DAZN.com. 

Coverage is available globally, excluding China, South Korea, the CIS region, Ukraine, Malaysia, Hungary and Finland. Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 are also unavailable in Peru. 

To watch live follow these steps: 

1. Download the DAZN app on your preferred device or visit DAZN.com.  
2. Sign up for a free DAZN account, or log in if you already have one.  
3. Search for Esports World Cup or browse the esports section.  
4. Select the tournament you want to watch and start streaming live.