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SURJ Sports Investment and Kings League partner to launch Kings League MENA

Danny Townsend (right) and Djamel Agaoua (left) during the signing ceremony
  • A new era of sports entertainment begins in MENA with the launch of a joint venture to bring Kings League MENA to the region.
  • The MENA competition joins growing Kings League global ecosystem that includes leagues in Latin America, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy and Spain
  • The league will drive digital-first fan experiences and create a new platform for football talent across the region. In 2024, Kings League social media content generated more than 7BN impressions and 400M engagements globally

Riyadh, May 27th, 2025 – SURJ Sports Investment and Kings League have today announced a partnership to launch Kings League MENA, a regionally anchored version of the revolutionary seven-a-side football league founded by football legend and entrepreneur Gerard Piqué. The new joint venture will launch later this year and will bring an innovative and digital-first sporting experience to the MENA region, with Saudi Arabia confirmed as the league’s inaugural host.

Developed in partnership between SURJ Sports Investment and Kings League, the MENA league – set to become the seventh league in the Kings League’s global portfolio – will feature a unique mix of regional football talent, digital-native content, and stunning live events, redefining how fans experience the game.

Details on team identities, celebrity team owners, and the competition’s format will be unveiled as the league builds toward its inaugural kickoff. The venture includes plans to engage local talent through open tryouts, draft mechanisms, and community activations, helping to foster a new pipeline of football and content creation talent across the Arab world.

The announcement is a major milestone in the evolution of sports entertainment across the region. With a format that fuses competitive football, gamified rules, and celebrity streamer team owners, Kings League MENA is designed to captivate young audiences and set a new benchmark for fan engagement in global sport. With 80% of Kings League’s 30 million global social media followers under the age of 34 – and nearly 70% of Saudi Arabia’s population under 30 – the league is tailored to match the digital behaviors and entertainment preferences of the region’s youth.

Danny Townsend, CEO of SURJ Sports Investment, said: “Kings League MENA is unlike anything the region has seen. We’re bringing an entirely new model to market – one that celebrates football’s competitive spirit while embracing the energy of digital creators, fans, and youth culture. This venture reflects SURJ’s broader mandate to invest in sports IP and enablement platforms that deliver long-term returns, grow the ecosystem, and connect with the next generation of fans across the region.”

Djamel Agaoua, CEO of Kings League commented: “We’re thrilled to take the Kings League into MENA through this exciting partnership with SURJ. Saudi Arabia is the perfect launchpad for a league that’s bold, fan-first, and digitally native. Together, we’re building a platform that fuses entertainment, sport, and digital culture – one that’s tailor-made for this region’s energy and ambition.”

Kings League has reimagined football for the digital era and for the next generation of fans. Since the explosive success of the original Spanish league in 2023, it has expanded to major football markets around the world, adding leagues in Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy and Germany.

Iconic stadiums including the Camp Nou (90k spectators) in Barcelona and Juventus Stadium in Torino (40k spectators) have sold out for Kings League finals. The growing global ecosystem of leagues is augmented by two spectacular annual international tournaments, the Kings World Cup Clubs and the Kings World Cup Nations. The best teams of each Kings League qualify for the Kings World Cup Clubs. The best players of each country play for their national team in the Kings World Cup Nations. Kings League works with world-leading streamers, content creators, and football legends to drive engagement, and will bring the same winning model to MENA. FC Barcelona superstars Lamine Yamal and Jules Koundé, Brazil legends Kaká and Neymar Jr, Argentina icon Kun Agüero, former Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Real Madrid players Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga are among the team and league presidents in the Kings League ecosystem. Content creator superstars in the ecosystem include American icon Jake Paul, Saudi Arabia’s SHoNgxBoNg, and Spanish streaming giant Ibai Llanos.