LaLiga's eSports team make debut in China

In collaboration with the China eSports Football League (CEFL) and Chinese company Tencent, LaLiga has participated in an eSports event outside Spain for the first time in its history.

The Chinese city of Chongqing was chosen to host the finals in the third season of the China eSports Football League, an event which was attended by over 3,000 people and had a global audience that is expected to surpass the 800 million online views that were registered during the last tournament.

LaLiga was represented by its eSports team, whose debut outside Spain came in a two-legged knockout tie on FIFA Online 4 against the three best players in China, who ended up running out 1-0 winners on aggregate.

The three players picked by LaLiga were the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One champions from the last McDonald's Virtual LaLiga eSports tournament, Javier "JRALion" Romero and Cadiz CF eSports player Rubido "LosYoruguas92" Fano, respectively, and Antonio "Ranerista" Montiel, who was representing Levante UD's eSports team.

"The presence of LaLiga in this event is a huge step forward for our eSports project. There is growing demand in Spain from clubs and fans to organise and grow this sector, and LaLiga wants to be at the forefront of that growth," stated Daniel Vicente, LaLiga's head of apps and gaming.

After the success of the McDonald's Virtual LaLiga eSports tournament, the Spanish competition is looking to increase its duration, number of participants and exposure when it returns for a second time, aspiring to become a standard-bearer nationally, with the maiden event receiving over 15,000 sign-ups and a social media reach of over 20 million.

As for the current campaign, LaLiga is looking to cement its position as a leader in the field and ensure a greater number of clubs engage in eSports. Efforts will also be made to combine national growth with opportunities for international expansion, such as the event in Chongqing.

"Our main target is to improve and continue to develop in Spain through EA Sports, although we won't lose sight of collaborative opportunities that crop up outside our borders and that can get the LaLiga brand into countries leading the way in the eSports world, such as China," said Vicente.