Can Messi’s Investment in Krü Unlock Argentina’s True CS2 Potential?

CS2 is on a mission to be a genre-defining game for FPS eSports tournaments. Counter-Strike has always been one of the centers of attention in the eSports scene. Nowadays, more and more people are getting into the eSports scene with players being respected and treated like athletes. While eSports players are rising to fame, athletes from other sports are also all in. Very recently, Lionel Messi also joined the scene.

With the world’s shift into the digital age, many sports organizations are turning their heads towards eSports. World Cup winner Leo Messi has taken a step in this direction, becoming co-owner of close friend and former international teammate Aguero’s eSports team, KRÜ Esports.

Lionel Messi’s Investment into a CS2 Team

The news of Messi joining KRÜ sent waves across the Soccer and eSports world. Although this will be the first time KRÜ will be entering the CS2 leagues, they have made an offer to the former lineup of a team that was founded by another South American soccer player, Lucas Paqueta.

The KRU Esports page on X (formerly Twitter), posted a video of Aguero’s announcement which featured the new co-owner. In the video, Aguero says, “I am no longer the owner of KRÜ.” Later he says, “Because now, we are two.” The video then shifts to Messi, who says, “Ok, let’s play.”

KRU Esports is currently known for its success as a Valorant team. The team was founded with the intention of pushing eSports in Argentina.

As reported by Marca, Aguero spoke about Messi becoming part owner of KRU: “I am happy to share a club with Leo, of course now in a new stage and with other challenges. It is an honor that he is part of KRU. He is the best footballer in history, and also a great friend.” He further added, “His presence is relevant because he projects values such as perseverance, humility and resilience. He is an inspirational figure and will be a great contribution to the scene in general.”

The manager at KRÜ, Mariel Lluch, has previously stated that the team will make its debut in Counter-Strike in 2024. This was further cemented by Sergio Agüero, who came forth during a livestream to say that there are plans to make a Counter-Strike Academy for young players. Sergio also confirmed that they will be putting together a main roster of Argentine players. They can now leverage Messi’s popularity and love for gaming to attract new players and bring the team’s focus to CS2.

While Messi’s investment is surely a step in the right direction to make the Argentine team’s name big in the eSports scene, similar scenes were seen in another South American team, aimed at promoting eSports in their country.

​The Counter-Strike scene in Brazil

A few years ago, Brazil took a step into the eSports side of CSGO. With FalleN at the helm, the Brazilian CS: GO scene came back to life in 2015. The Luminosity Gaming squad secured two consecutive CS: GO Major championships. In the mid-2000s, FalleN saw the potential in Brazil’s eSports scene and started offering classes to help players improve their skills and foster new talent.

However, FalleN extended his contributions beyond the server. He started the Games Academy to help Brazilian CSGO players get better at the game. This initiative was inspired by the move Denmark and Sweden had made to help their teams get better at the game.

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With Counter-Strike having a large presence in Brazil, Argentina is yet to show the same promise. Now, with Lionel Messi’s investment in KRÜ, Argentina is on the cusp of experiencing a similar resurgence in the eSports world.

As Messi takes his first steps into the world of eSports, the future looks promising for Argentine CS2.

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