Kings League MENA draws more than 100 million views in six-week debut season

The first full season of Kings League MENA attracted more than 100 million live-stream views during its six-week run, highlighting the strong interest in the innovative seven-a-side football format launched by Spanish star Gerard Pique.

Split 1, the term used by Kings League for a complete edition of the competition comprising a league phase and knockout stage, was held from 18 September to 30 October at Cool Arena in Boulevard Riyadh.

The tournament built on the success of last year’s inaugural Kings Cup MENA. The number of teams increased from eight to 10, while the schedule expanded from 17 matches to 51.

Data partner Hatchet confirmed that live-stream views were more than three times higher than the 33 million recorded for the inaugural edition. Each matchday attracted an average of 4.1 million unique viewers.

There was also plenty of action on the pitch, with 524 goals scored across the 51 matches. Matchday eight produced a competition record of 70 goals in one night, surpassing the previous mark of 55, set during matchday three.

Kuwaiti side FWZ also set a new record for the biggest victory in Kings League MENA when they defeated Qatar’s ABO FC 13-3 in the sixth round.

The competition remained closely contested, with nine of the 10 teams still in contention for a place in the knockout stages on the final day of the league phase.

FWZ, led by Kuwaiti content creator Fawaz, went on to win the title after beating Moroccan team Ultra Chmicha 5-4 in the final on 30 October.

The tournament featured 10 teams from six countries: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar. Each side was led by one of the region’s leading content creators as team president.

Among them were Younes Zarou, who has more than 125 million followers and served as co-president of Moroccan team Bakhira FC; Abu Falah, who has more than 72 million followers and was president of Qatar’s ABO FC; and Darb7h, who has more than 10 million followers and led Saudi Arabian team DR7.

Former Belgium international and Al Shabab star Yannick Carrasco joined Ultra Chmicha as vice-president. On his first appearance, he scored a “president’s penalty” a distinctive Kings League rule allowing team presidents to enter the pitch and take a penalty.

Saudi Arabia international Khalid Al-Ghannam also served as co-president of DR7 during the knockout stages. Jordan internationals Yazan Al Naimat and Ali Olwan were co-presidents of Jordanian teams 3BS and Red Zone respectively.

Fans could watch every match live and free through the presidents’ personal streaming channels and the official Kings League accounts on Kick, YouTube, TikTok and Twitch. MBC Group, the official media partner, also provided live coverage on MBC Action and Shahid.

Kings League MENA is a joint project between Kings League and Surrj Sports Investment, aimed at bringing the global competition to the Middle East and North Africa. Following the success of Kings Cup MENA in 2025, the tournament returned to Cool Arena in Riyadh for its first stage in September and October 2026.