Neymar Jr., the Brazilian soccer player who’s one of the most popular athletes in the world, is joining Facebook Gaming to stream gaming content exclusively on the platform. It’s a huge feather in Facebook Gaming’s cap, amid its ongoing battle with Twitch and YouTube to land deals with top gaming personalities.
Neymar Jr. will stream gameplay multiple times throughout each month, and once per month he’ll play with a different creator, according to Facebook. The first official livestream will take place on Neymar Jr’s Facebook page on Friday, Dec. 17 at 11 a.m. PT.
“I’m very happy to partner with Facebook Gaming on my livestreams!” Neymar Jr said in a statement provided by Facebook. “The gaming world has always been one of my greatest passions after football, and I can barely wait to hang out and have fun with everyone who also shares this passion.”
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, who currently plays for the Paris Saint-Germain football club, is an avid gamer who was featured in Epic Games’ “Fortnite” earlier this year, letting players unlock his uniform, accessories and quests. He previously livestreamed on Twitch, playing games including “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” (CS:GO) and “Call of Duty.”
The 29-year-old footballer has more than 88 million followers on Facebook and more than 166 million on Instagram (both owned by parent company Meta).
Neymar announced the pact with Facebook Gaming on social media Thursday:
Galera, o pai tá on oficialmente no @FacebookGaming ! 😎🔥
Cola comigo para se divertir e já curte a minha Página lá no Facebook.A primeira gameplay já é amanhã, 16h horário de Brasília / 20h no horário de Paris.
Bora jogar ! pic.twitter.com/1pSNrRpDLQ— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) December 16, 2021
“We’re excited to welcome Neymar Jr. to Facebook Gaming, where he can connect with his global fans through games,” said William Pimenta, strategic partner manager at Facebook Gaming. “Like football, gaming brings people together across borders and languages. And our global approach to supporting creators is one of the things that makes Facebook Gaming special.”
Earlier this week, LeBron James’ Uninterrupted announced docu-series “Neymar: The Perfect Chaos,” which is set to premiere on Netflix on Jan. 25, 2022.