Goalkeeper for Real Madrid and avid simulated racer Thibaut Courtois has announced a move into the esports industry with the launch of his competitive team, TC Esports. Courtois is the latest professional soccer player to enter the esports world, with the star talent already known for his presence in the virtual motorsports realm.

Racing Esports Hit the Mainstream

This year has seen the esports industry hit unprecedented heights, with Courtois’ commitment to the sector a further sign of the blending between traditional and digital sports. The player’s involvement in simulated racing dates back to 2019, when he raced alongside F1 drives Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris in virtual competitions.

Courtois’ efforts will hopefully bring virtual motorsports to a wider audience. For the time being, esports betting at Canada sportsbook sites tends to accept wagers on games such as Counter-Strike, League of Legends, and DOTA 2. This is likely correlated to viewership figures, with virtual F1 events attracting a peak viewership of 500,000 compared to League of Legends’ 6.5 million.

TC Esports Benefits From Experience

While TC Esports is Courtois’ first venture into virtual racing team management, the soccer player isn’t a complete stranger to competitive motorsports. In 2023, he established TC Racing, a real-life racing team that competed in the F4 Spanish Championship. The team has also participated in the Prodigy Racing League, an innovative competition that blends simulation and real-world racing.

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The new esports organization has appointed Javier Guerra as the company’s Director of Marketing and Gaming, a role he also fills at TC Racing. Guerra previously headed Williams Racing's esports division, Williams Esports, from 2018 until early 2024. His hiring suggests that Courtois aims to be a serious contender in simulated racing.

“I have two simulators at home that I use regularly when football allows me to,” said Courtois when launching TC Esports. “I have always wanted to have my own esports team, since sim racing can also open doors in the world of motorsports and it is something that we also want to bet on at TC Racing.”

More Soccer Players Entering Esports

Thibaut Courtois has joined a growing roster of international soccer players who have entered the esports world in the past year. Others include Gerard Pique, who co-founded KOI with Spanish streamer Ibai, and Sergio Aguero's Argentinian KRÜ Esports. Brazilian player for Manchester United Casemiro also launched the Case Esports organization in 2020.

David Beckham is also the co-owner and face of esports organization Guild Esports. Since he inked a deal with the company in 2020, the soccer icon has earned around $19 million. Dutch captain of the Liverpool Premier League team Virgil van Dijk also profited from a deal with Tundra Esports signed in 2022.

The launch of TC Esports marks another milestone in the convergence of traditional sports and esports. With Courtois's profile and passion for the game and Guerra's expertise, TC Esports looks set to make an impact in the competitive sim racing scene.