Recently, Gerard Pique, alongside renowned football legends Kaka, Miguel Layun, Claudio Marchisio, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, gathered not to reminisce about their past triumphs but to articulate their confidence in the Kings League. This seven-a-side league, which Pique established in 2022, aims to attract a younger demographic in soccer. During a virtual press briefing, Layun expressed gratitude towards critics, stating:

“Thank you for the haters. We love haters here. We are in the circus planet, so it’s all about entertainment and haters are part of it.”

As of now, the Kings League has expanded its reach from Spain to various countries, preparing for the impending second Kings World Cup Clubs in Paris on June 1-14, 2025. The league is characterized by its inconsistency with traditional soccer rules—no draws, unlimited substitutions, and scenarios where a game can trade down to a one-on-one format. Pique emphasizes that, contrary to being a threat to conventional soccer, the Kings League is a complementary product.

“We consider ourselves very complementary to football,” Pique commented. He expressed that fans can enjoy both traditional soccer and the Kings League simultaneously through multiple mediums. He further compared the league’s experience to video gaming, which resonates with today’s Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.

The previous Kings World Cup Clubs generated over 100 million unique viewers across its live streams, a testament to its growing popularity. Pique affirmed that while the Kings League is fundamentally redefined, it retains the essence of soccer as entertainment, noting:

“Football is about enjoyment, and we’re here to engage the audience in new ways.”