eSports

Tottenham footballer Dele Alli enters into long-term partnership with British esports team EXCEL ESPORTS

Published

6 years ago

November 20, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Dele becomes an integral part of the leading British competitive gaming culture brand; helping to bridge the gap between sports, gaming and esports, the long-term partnership will connect Dele’s passion for gaming, Fortnite prowess and experience of competing at the highest level in sport to support the team

EXCEL ESPORTS, the leading British competitive gaming culture brand, with teams participating in the two biggest global competitive video games, Fortnite and League of Legends, has today announced that Tottenham Hotspur footballer, and gaming enthusiast Dele Alli has signed a long-term partnership with the team to become its first ever global ambassador. Dele’s role follows EXCEL’s recent brand update and the team’s vision of The Power of Better, it’s commitment to improve in everything it does that starts with performance. The holistic partnership unites EXCEL’s and Dele’s shared values including the importance of performance, their passion for gaming and looks to further bridge the gap between sports and competitive gaming.

Dele’s enthusiasm for gaming, notably Fortnite, is widely known amongst his fans and he considers it his biggest passion outside of football; often using it to unwind and relax when he is not training or competing. Dele, who is an ambassador for EXCEL’s Official Peripherals Partner HyperX, has previously taken his love for gaming onto the football field, celebrating his goals by performing popular Fortnite dances for Tottenham. He has more than 130,000 followers on Twitch and also took part in the charity esports series Gaming Without Borders earlier this year, raising $1.5M for Covid-19 charities.

Applying true meaning to the term “ambassador”, Dele will provide the teams roster of talent with the opportunity to benefit from his experience and knowledge of being an elite athlete to further develop their own psychological skill set, including how to deal with pressure better, overcoming challenges to perform at their highest ability and bouncing back from setbacks. It will also allow Dele to become fully immersed in EXCEL, providing him with the opportunity to understand how esports brands operate, further expand his knowledge of the industry and how to game competitively on all gaming platforms including PC.

Recently, EXCEL underwent a significant brand update where it unveiled a new ambitious manifesto and vision of The Power of Better that saw it incorporate purpose into its brand identity to help improve the gaming and esports industry. This included an updated visual identity, including a new logo, as well as the unveiling of the first edition of its Gaming for Better whitepaper series, that provides advice on how to improve individual performance and become healthier by focusing on physical activity, lifestyle balance, and creating positive habits. Earlier this year, EXCEL also signed BT as its lead partner and unveiled a new leadership team with Wouter Sleijffers joining as CEO and Robin McCammon, the former Director of Global Sports Marketing at adidas, joining as CCO.

“Everyone who knows me knows my biggest passion outside of football is gaming and after becoming increasingly involved in the industry over the past few years, it seemed like joining forces with an esports team was a natural step for me to take. What drew me to EXCEL was the fact it’s the biggest British esports brand in the country and competes at the top level of esports but as well as this, I love the fact the brand was born out of a passion for gaming and the values it upholds. My knowledge of being a competitive athlete is something I believe can really benefit EXCEL’s roster of talent as they continue to strive to be better every single day but I’ll also be looking to further my own knowledge and understanding of this truly exciting industry”, said EXCEL ESPORTS ambassador Dele.

“EXCEL ESPORTS competes at the highest level of gaming competition. Following the recent launch of the new EXCEL and our vision in The Power of Better, we’ve been looking for a person who’s our own inspiration in getting the best out of ourselves. Therefore, we’re very pleased that Dele is coming on board to support us in our new, purpose led journey. Dele knows better than anyone what it means to reach and stay at the top and also exhibits true passion and professionalism that is so prevalent in our own competitions. We look forward to working with Dele to develop our talent, utilise his advice and skill set to guide EXCEL forward and help us ensure we aren’t being complacent with our new ambition”, said EXCEL ESPORTS CEO Wouter Sleijffers.

BLAST

BLAST partners with MATCH on premium fan travel for 2026-27 events

Published

4 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

blast-partners-with-match-on-premium-fan-travel-for-2026-27-events

Deal covers travel and hospitality packages across BLAST’s event slate, starting with BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals in November.

BLAST has signed a one-year partnership with MATCH to develop premium fan travel experiences and related commercial opportunities across BLAST events in 2026 and 2027, including the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals 2026. The companies said the work will start immediately, with an initial focus on the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals event in November.

BLAST VP of Destinations and Market Development James Woollard said: “We’re thrilled to partner with MATCH, a company with an unrivalled track record in delivering top-tier fan travel experiences at the biggest sporting events in the world. As BLAST continues to grow globally and attract growing numbers of travelling fans, this partnership represents an exciting opportunity to further elevate the live event experience for fans and audiences across esports.”

MATCH is best known for hospitality and accommodation programmes at major sports events, including four consecutive FIFA World Cups from 2010 to 2022, as well as Ryder Cup tournaments, Formula 1 Grands Prix and ATP tennis tournaments. MATCH Director of UK Events and Business Strategy Richard Parker said: “Esports is one of the most exciting growth frontiers in live entertainment, and BLAST stands out as a world-class platform with incredible potential. At MATCH, we see a tremendous opportunity to bring our expertise in creating premium fan experiences into the esports arena. We are very enthusiastic about the possibility of working together with BLAST to deliver innovative, unforgettable experiences for esports fans worldwide.”

BLAST said MATCH will also bring its network of clients, sponsors, federations, agents and media partners to support international attendance and partner activation, alongside MATCH’s technology and operational infrastructure. The announcement follows BLAST’s 2025 live events activity, where the organiser said it delivered 15 arena shows across 10 countries spanning five titles and sold 194,421 tickets.

The post BLAST partners with MATCH on premium fan travel for 2026-27 events appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Counter-strike

Team Vitality opens V.Hub fan zone for IEM Cologne Major

Published

8 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-opens-v.hub-fan-zone-for-iem-cologne-major

Team Vitality is launching an official fan zone, V.Hub, to coincide with the 2026 IEM Cologne Major. The venue will run June 18-21 at KWB im Stadtpalais, a short walk from the LANXESS Arena.

Access to V.Hub will be free for fans who sign up, with limited availability. Team Vitality said the space is intended to bring together its community, partners and Counter-Strike fans attending the event.

The fan zone will include dedicated areas hosted by Team Vitality and partners Skin.Club, ASUS ROG, EVNIA and Blacklyte. The club said activations will include hands-on experiences and opportunities to play bespoke Counter-Strike maps.

Team Vitality also plans match watch parties, a pop-up shop for official merchandise and giveaways, including an ASUS ROG x Team Vitality co-branded mousepad. During the playoff stage, the club said V.Hub will be set up for trophy photo opportunities with its Major trophies.

Food and drink will be available on site throughout the event, including vegetarian options.

The post Team Vitality opens V.Hub fan zone for IEM Cologne Major appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eSports

Esports World Cup 2026 Opens Registration for Last Chance Qualifiers

Published

3 days ago

June 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-world-cup-2026-opens-registration-for-last-chance-qualifiers

The Esports Foundation (EF) announced the official lineup and details for the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) tournaments that will award the final spots in eight different competitions at this year’s Esports World Cup, set to be hosted in Paris, France, from July 6 through August 23.

The programme forms the final stage of qualification for EWC 2026, concluding a global Road to EWC that spans more than 230 tournaments and qualification events worldwide and is expected to engage more than 350,000 competitors across publisher ecosystems, regional leagues and official circuits.

The Last Chance Qualifier series consists of eight open tournaments across Counter-Strike 2, EA FC, Rocket League, TEKKEN 8, Chess, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves and Street Fighter 6.

Held in Paris between July 5 and August 10, the events will award the final qualification spots for 37 solo competitors and six Clubs at the Esports World Cup 2026, including four Clubs in Counter-Strike 2 and one Club each in Rocket League and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. EA FC qualifiers will advance to the Play-Ins stage, while all other LCQ winners will qualify directly for the main event.

LCQ Schedule and Qualification Slots

• Street Fighter 6 (July 5): 4 players qualify

• Chess (July 9-11): 14 players qualify

• EA FC (July 24-26): 6 players qualify for Play-Ins

• TEKKEN 8 (July 31-August 2): 4 players qualify

• Rocket League (July 31-August 2): 1 Club qualifies

• FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (August 4-6): 4 players qualify

• Counter-Strike 2 (August 7-9): 4 Clubs qualify

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (August 8-10): 1 Club qualifies

Some of the most remarkable moments in EWC’s history have come as a result of the LCQ. In 2024, EA FC pro João “JafonsogV” Vasconcellos battled through the LCQ before going on to claim the championship, etching his name into esports history. His performance inspired the creation of the Jafonso Award, which is awarded to teams or players that win an EWC championship after qualifying through the LCQ.

In 2025, Team Falcons’ Overwatch roster pulled off that feat to not only claim the first Jafonso Award and the OWCS Midseason Championship, but win what would turn out to be a crucial tournament victory that cemented Falcons’ second straight Club Championship. In the same year, Chess Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Levon Aronian both reached the playoffs after qualifying for the first EWC Chess main event through the LCQ.

The Esports World Cup 2026 will be hosted at Paris Expo Port de Versailles, in Paris, France, from July 6 through August 23, bringing together more than 2000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries across 25 tournaments and 24 games for a record-breaking $75 million+ prize pool.

The post Esports World Cup 2026 Opens Registration for Last Chance Qualifiers appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.