BARCELONA, SPAIN – MARCH 19: Andre Gomes of FC Barcelona shoot the ball and scores his team’s fourth goal during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Valencia CF at Camp Nou stadium on March 19, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
G2 Esports, a team within the burgeoning sport, has announced a funding round, with one of the investors being current FC Barcelona midfielder André Gomes.
This funding round will be used to assist the expansion of G2 Esports and will be used primarily to grow the current talent pool of players. Other investors include Eric Mindich’s Everblue Management, MACRO Ventures, and Marc Lemann of Go4It.
G2 Esports was founded in 2013 by former League of Legends player, Carlos “Ocelote” Rodriguez. It currently competes in that game and also CS:GO, Hearthstone, Rocket League, Vainglory and Super Smash Bros.
“In this increasingly digital world, I see tremendous potential in esports,” Gomes said in a statement. “Carlos’s vast experience as a successful player, entertainer and successful team owner combined with G2’s impressive track record makes this investment a perfect fit. Esports is the next generation of sports and League of Legends is its cornerstone. I couldn’t be more thrilled to invest in and partner with G2 Esports.”
Presently it is expected that eSports will generate $696 million this year globally. Other notable soccer stars to invest in esports include Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Brazilian legend Ronaldo.
This follows a wider trend of soccer teams also investing in their own esports teams. Kieran Brown signed with English Premier League team Manchester City last year, becoming its first esports player. Meanwhile a host of other clubs including Manchester United, West Ham, Wolfsburg and Paris Saint-Germain have also jumped into esports.
“With this group, we are confident that we can continue on our growth path, build world-class teams and create cutting-edge content,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “G2 is thrilled to bring partners on board that are both passionate about eSports and committed to our global growth.”
Gomes, 24, is a Portuguese soccer player who played 30 games for FC Barcelona last season and scored three goals, following his transfer from Spanish rival Valencia for $41 million in 2016.
