Kings League Expands to MENA in Strategic Partnership with SURJ Sports Investment.

Roger Hampel

Photo Credit: The Kings League

The Kings League — the fast-growing, entertainment-first football format launched by Gerard Piqué — is expanding into the Middle East and North Africa through a newly announced joint venture with SURJ Sports Investment. The new competition, titled Kings League MENA, will officially launch later in 2025, with Saudi Arabia confirmed as the inaugural host nation.

The project is the latest step in the global expansion of the Kings League model, which fuses competitive seven-a-side football, gamified rules, and a media-driven content engine designed for the digital generation. MENA becomes the seventh league in the Kings League portfolio, joining Spain, Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, and Germany.

Football Meets Digital Culture — On a New Stage Kings League SURJ

Kings League MENA will blend traditional football structures with live content creation, celebrity team owners, and viral formats designed to engage younger audiences across the Arab world. The league will feature regional football talent and media personalities, with team identities and competition formats still to be revealed.

According to Djamel Agaoua, CEO of Kings League, the region’s energy, audience profile, and digital habits make it the ideal launchpad:

“We’re thrilled to take the Kings League into MENA through this exciting partnership with SURJ. Saudi Arabia is the perfect place 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 ambition.”

This digital-native DNA has powered the league’s meteoric rise. In 2024 alone, Kings League content generated over 7 billion impressions and 400 million engagements globally, with over 80% of its 30 million social media followers under the age of 34.

For MENA — where 70% of Saudi Arabia’s population is under 30 — this model is well aligned with the entertainment preferences and digital behaviors of the region’s youth. The venture includes plans for open tryouts, content-first draft mechanisms, and local community activations aimed at identifying new football and creator talent.

A Sports IP Play in the Age of Experience

For SURJ Sports Investment, the project reflects a broader strategy of building and owning next-generation sports IP. The company’s CEO, Danny Townsend, described the move as both cultural and commercial in nature:

“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.”

Townsend — a former executive at City Football Group and Australian Professional Leagues — is known for building sports properties around data, media, and fan experiences. Kings League MENA appears to fit squarely within that playbook.

The Kings League Blueprint, Scaled to MENA

Since launching in Spain in 2023, Kings League has transformed the perception of what modern football can look like. Final matches in the original league have filled iconic venues like Camp Nou (90,000 spectators) and Juventus Stadium (40,000), and the brand has built a loyal Gen Z following via streamers, athletes, and global celebrities.

In addition to its local leagues, Kings League has established two annual global tournaments: the Kings World Cup Clubs and the Kings World Cup Nations. These events feature the best teams and national players from each region, extending the ecosystem into international competition.

The MENA edition is expected to follow the same model — with streamers, athletes, and team owners representing the region. Figures such as Ibai Llanos, Jake Paul, Kun Agüero, and even Neymar Jr. are already embedded in the Kings League system, giving the format cultural reach far beyond traditional football circles.

With SHoNgxBoNg — one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest streaming personalities — already involved in the broader Kings League network, the MENA rollout is likely to blend global names with local digital powerhouses.