Liverpool and Man United stars join up with KSI’s Baller League – with the competition receiving a staggering £20M investment ahead of UK launch
Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has joined up with Manchester United stars Diogo Dalot and Mason Mount as part of a multi-million investment in six-a-side football start-up Baller League.
The innovative league was launched in Germany in 2023 at a disused plane hanger in Cologne but has now branched out overseas, with an official league starting in March with YouTuber KSI the president of the UK base.
And Mail Sport can reveal multiple Premier League footballers have put their money to the cause with eSports fanatic Jota among them. They used the investment scheme APEX to put £20m to the project.
Jota said: ‘Baller League has a lot of crossover with the world of Esports and streaming, concepts I understand well. The twitch numbers achieved in Germany in their first season are a strong indicator of the success Baller can have in the UK and US markets.’
Dalot added: ‘As a professional football player, I’m always looking for new ways to connect with the game I love. Baller League offers a fresh perspective, combining football with exciting entertainment. It’s a great opportunity to explore a new side of the sport.’
Football legends Gary Lineker, John Terry and Luis Figo have been lined up as team managers, while Micah Richards, Alan Shearer, Freddie Ljungberg, Jens Lehmann and Robert Pires have also been signed up as coaches.
Diogo Jota (left) and Mason Mount are among the Premier League stars to have invested in the UK’s Baller League
The competition was announced at the end of last year with a promotional video filled with a raft of famous names including Ronaldinho and Gary Lineker
YouTuber and entrepreneur KSI is the president of the UK branch of the competition, which launched in Germany at the start of 2024
The UK version is set to begin on March 3 and will take place every Monday until mid-May with 12 teams involved and each match will be live-streamed alongside a weekly show by YouTuber Trials will take place in London and Manchester, with recently retired professionals, futsal players, free agents and released academy players among those eligible to play.
The Premier League players’ investments via APEX comes after several stars such as Cody Gakpo and five-time Champions League winner Marcelo put forward €50million cumulatively with business partners including rugby player Maro Itoje and cyclist Mark Cavendish.
Back then, players used their money to invest in sports-related technology and entertainment firms. One example was their investment in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s company, TMRW Sports.
APEX’s founder, Antonio Cacorino, tells Mail Sport: ‘APEX is Europe’s leading sports investment firm. What sets us apart is our foundation, rooted in the involvement of some of the world’s best athletes as investors in our funds and deals. They are at the core of our DNA.
‘The athletes involved in Baller League are passionate believers in its potential, which is why they’ve invested alongside us. These athletes consistently demonstrate exceptional entrepreneurship and active involvement in their investments.
‘This is particularly notable in football, where such qualities aren’t as common. They are smart, independent, and courageous in exploring new opportunities.
‘Cody Gakpo, for example, exemplifies this entrepreneurial spirit. He is an investor in our venture fund and has co-invested in several deals through it. While achieving strong returns is naturally a priority for all investors, they also value contributing to the growth of the companies they back and the sports industry as a whole.’
