“Involved, competitive and present. He did not look at this as a business”

Jota was a pillar of the gaming community and the owner of the Luna Esports team, founded by him in 2020, who participated in the competitions of EAFC (FIFA), Rocket League, PUBG and DOTA 2.

In total, they accumulated prizes worth 365,000 euros, and one of the short -term goals was the entry into the world of Counter Strike, which did not happen. At the end of last year, Jota and his former club, FC Porto, formed a partnership.

Diogo Jota's lesser -known passion: “It didn't look at this as a business”

In these five years, the central point was EAFC, where it was most successful and where it all started: it won the Masters 2024 Cup, becoming a national champion, and one of its players, Jafonso, was the best in the world in virtual football, conquering Esports World Cup.

“Diogo is not just a patron, he is a very special and very important person in my career. Someone involved, competitive and present. Does not look at this just as on a businessbut as something he likes, and I am very happy to work with people like him. Without him I would not be here today, surely, “Jafonso said in an interview to Bola last year.

Jafonso, a former member of the Luna Esports team. Photo: Instagram

However, Diogo Jota was not only a fan of esports, but also an excellent player, even at the virtual football level, his priority. In FIFA 21, the Portuguese reached the world number 1 for one week, obtaining a record of 30-0 (30 wins and 0 defeats) in Futchampions, in February 2021.

Jota took advantage of the period of isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic to dedicate himself to virtual football, which has paid off, without neglecting his career, on the contrary. At that time, Premier League organized a FIFA 20 tournament, in which the 20 clubs in the championship chose a professional player to represent them and fight for the title.

Liverpool's former player was regularly present on Twitch and other streaming platforms, interacting with fans around the world, saying that Esports has the potential to captivate millions, hence his rapid evolution in recent years.

Diogo Jota: “Every time we travel, I take the playstation with me”

Diogo Jota's career has been marked by the numerous injuries suffered over the years, especially in England, so video games served as an escape and helped him in recovery. Even when he was fit for the game, EAFC helped him to give the best on the field. “Every time we travel for moving matches, I take the playstation with me. This makes the time pass faster.”he revealed in an interview for The Gamer, in 2023.

In recent years, Diogo Jota sometimes celebrated her goals in a special way: she sat down and simulated that she was playing EAFC, with the PlayStation controller.

Photo: Instagram