Brazilian esports organisation LOUD has announced that professional footballer Vinicius Jr has become a co-owner of the organisation.
As co-owner, the Real Madrid winger will assist LOUD with content production and expand on educational initiatives created by the Vini Jr Institute.
Vinicius Jr will produce a range of exclusive content for LOUD on the organisation’s social media channels. According to a release, LOUD aims to ‘refocus on entertainment’s next generation’ with the Brazilian footballer spearheading its efforts.
Alongside assisting with LOUD’s content creation, Vinicius Jr will collaborate with the organisation for new initiatives as part of his Vini Jr Institute. Founded in 2021, the institute provides Brazilian children with educational resources through a mobile application. With the help of LOUD, the organisation and Vinicius Jr will implement new content and expand on efforts to improve early-year education in the country.
Vinicius Jr is the latest footballer to embark on projects within the esports industry. In November 2023, Swedish footballer Pontus Jansson became a co-owner of GODSENT while footballing icon and Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi became co-owner of Argentine organisation KRÜ Esports, which is founded by former footballer Sergio Agüero.
Founded in 2019, LOUD has become one of the fastest-growing esports organisations in Latin America. In 2022, the organisation was the most tweeted about following competitive success across VALORANT, League of Legends, and the Brazilian Free Fire League.
Bruno Bittencourt, Co-founder of LOUD, spoke on Vinicius Jr’s appointment: “Vini Jr represents how gaming culture is evolving beyond the screen and into fashion, sports, and even social causes.
“Together, we’ll exercise that new identity by developing original content, supporting youth education, and finding new ways to improve communities throughout Brazil and Latin America. We’re very excited to welcome Vini Jr to LOUD’s ownership group as we work to inspire the next generation of gamer.”
