More and more professional footballers are diving into esports, especially games like Counter-Strike, though few manage to excel both on the field and in gaming. Eduardo Cossa, better known as Pepê, a player for “Porto,” has become one of those select few by reaching FACEIT’s highest level—Level 10.
Another player who has achieved this milestone is Kerem Aktürkoğlu from Benfica adding
For Pepê, Counter-Strike has been a passion since before his European career. Back in 2021, when he was still playing for the Brazilian team Gremio, he connected with professional Counter-Strike player Ricardo “boltz” Prass and even received a team jersey from BOOM as a gift. This encounter further fueled his interest in esports, and Pepê has since refined his skills in CS, balancing it with his professional football career.
Pepê is part of a growing group of footballers interested in Counter-Strike. Neymar Jr., for instance, often joins matches with FURIA and has even played in a show match alongside Brazilian Major champion Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo. Neymar has highlighted parallels between football and CS, particularly in strategy and teamwork.
Several footballers are also involved in supporting the Counter-Strike community. Arthur Melo from “Juventus” backs the Brazilian team Legacy, while Denmark national team captain and “Milan” defender Simon Kjaer owns WOPA. In December 2023, Oleksandr Zinchenko of “Arsenal” represented his organization, Passion UA, as a stand-in for Eduard “zeRRoFIX” Petrovski during a European tournament.
