After being written off as a “circus” by mainstream soccer officials, Gerard Piqué’s new Kings League continues to prove that, actually, there are hundreds of thousands of people completely hooked on this specific type of wacky, free-for-all sport. As they say in showbiz, the show must go on.
The Kings League is an indoor soccer league started by Piqué, a former defence player with FC Barcelona, that debuted in January. For the uninitiated, it’s like a soccer video game in real life with strange and constantly changing rules. Team presidents have “Secret Weapon” cards that let them take a penalty kick or have their goals count for two points. Piqué, meanwhile, also has his own set of “League Cards” that take a certain number of players off the field during each game. The games are shorter, too, consisting of two 20-minute halves.
The 12 teams are headed by famous Twitch streamers like Ibai and TheGrefg as well as by soccer legends like former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas and retired Manchester City striker Sergio “El Kun” Agüero. Anyone can play in the Kings League, no professional experience required.
Gizmodo attended a typical Kings League game day in February — all the teams play against each other every Sunday for six hours — and confirmed the league is just as wacky in person as on the screen.
Click through to check out some of the craziest moments in the Kings League to date.
The Kings League Brought in Ronaldinho to Play on Streamer Ibai’s Team
Seeing famous soccer players in the Kings League is no big deal. Each team holds two “wildcards,” which allow them to put in whatever player they want. On Feb. 26, Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldinho donned a pink jersey for Ibai’s “Porcinos FC” — which means “swine” in Spanish — and hit the field.
Ibai Sent Ronaldinho and His Team to the Kings League Arena in a Pink Stretch Limo
Ever the showman, Ibai sent a limo to pick up Ronaldinho and his team and take them to the Kings League’s Cupra Arena. The limo was baptized “la Porcineta,” or the “swine-mobile.”
Iker Casillas Dons Angel Wings and Puts on His Goalkeeper Gloves for the Kings League
In the Kings League, hanging a former soccer legend from the ceiling and sticking angel wings on his back is not only normal, it’s expected. That’s how Iker Casillas, one of the 12 presidents in the league, announced that he would briefly return to soccer to play for his own team “1K.”
Former Real Madrid Coach José Mourinho Encouraged Ibai to Take a Penalty Kick Against Casillas
When Casillas dropped on the field like an angel from above, Piqué and company tried to convince him to shoot a penalty kick against the famed goalkeeper. While Ibai initially refused, Piqué won him over by showing him a video of famous soccer stars saying: “Ibai, do it.”
One of those stars included former Real Madrid coach José Mourinho, who is considered a god to many of the club’s fans. In the video, Mourinho told Ibai that getting a goal in would be easy.
“If I sat him on the bench, it must have been for a reason,” Mourinho said. “He’s really bad. You’ll get a penalty in easily.”
Streamer Ibai Takes a Penalty Shot Against Casillas — and Makes It!
When the day finally came for Ibai to take his shot against Casillas, the streamer told the goalkeeper he was having a bad time. Ibai is a huge Real Madrid fan and had walked Casillas play countless times on TV.
“I’m having a horrible time,” Ibai said.
Nonetheless, the soccer gods smiled upon Ibai. He made the shot and ran to hug his team in victory.
Piqué Dresses Up El Kun Agüero as a Clown
Hours after Spanish professional soccer league president Javier Tebas called the Kings League a “circus,” Piqué cheerfully welcomed everyone to the Kings League circus on Twitter. He teased a big “bomb” for that week’s game in January. The “bomb” was a mysterious masked clown who turned out to be “El Kun” Agüero, who presides over the “Kunisports” team in the Kings League.
El Kun Agüero Comes Out of Retirement for the Kings League
El Kun was forced to retire from professional soccer last year because of heart problems. Nonetheless, he made a small exception and played with his team on Jan. 22.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernández Leaves the Kings League After Just Two Months Because It’s “Too Intense”
While some may say the Kings League is a clown show, at least one professional soccer player thought it was too intense for him. Famed Mexican striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernández left the Kings League after playing one game for Ibai’s team. Ibai later explained that the striker left because of his contract with the LA Galaxy.
“Chicharito plays for the Galaxy, an important team in MLS. If he gets injured, I think they’ll stick me with a six million dollar fine,” Ibai said. “I think they let him play because this is considered a ‘show match.’ When he saw the level we were playing at, he freaked out, not because he was the worst, but because he said, ‘there’s more intensity than I thought.’”