Former Barcelona and Spain star Gerard Pique has develop into a strategic shareholder in World Chess League franchise FYERS American Gambits, including to a chess portfolio that already consists of an funding in Freestyle Chess.
Pique is revealed as the newest member of the American Gambits’ possession group forward of the fourth season of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, which takes place September 3-13 in Bengaluru, India.
He’ll be a part of one other sporting nice, former Indian cricket star Ravichandran Ashwin, who turned a co-owner when the American Gambits entered the World Chess League in 2024.
A worldwide icon. A daring new chapter. ♟️
We’re proud to welcome Gerard Piqué to FYERS American Gambits as a Strategic Shareholder. Collectively, we’re able to take the sport to higher heights.@GCLlive @pocketfm_india @fyers1 #GerardPique #AmericanGambits #FYERS #GlobalChessLeague… pic.twitter.com/HTFCNOj4v8
— FYERS American Gambits (@AmericanGambits) August 17, 2026
Pique retired from skilled soccer in 2022 after a incredible profession by which he made 615 official appearances for Barcelona and gained 30 trophies with the membership, together with three Champions League titles. He was additionally a part of the Spain group that gained the 2010 World Cup.
“Chess has fascinated me for a very long time due to its depth, its world attraction and the unbelievable psychological power it calls for,” the 39-year-old mentioned in announcing the investment. “What attracts me to FYERS American Gambits is the ambition to take chess to a brand new degree and its long-term imaginative and prescient for the game,” he added.
Chess has fascinated me for a very long time due to its depth, its world attraction and the unbelievable psychological power it calls for.
—Gerard Pique
The American Gambits’ six-player group is headed by none aside from world championship challenger GM Javokhir Sindarov. He will likely be joined by GMs Nihal Sarin and Daniil Dubov, French teenager GM Marc’Andria Maurizzi, GM Bibisara Assaubayeva, and IM Sara Khadem. The group will likely be led by GM Srinath Narayanan.
Crew CEO and co-owner Prachura P P mentioned:
Gerard Pique’s funding in FYERS American Gambits is a landmark second for our franchise and, we consider, for the evolution of chess as a world sport. Gerard understands what it takes to construct a world sporting property, one that mixes elite competitors with compelling storytelling, passionate communities and a powerful reference to followers. His perception in our imaginative and prescient is extremely significant as we glance to construct a franchise that may characterize the way forward for chess.
This isn’t Pique’s first funding in chess. He’s additionally an investor in Freestyle Chess, the enterprise based by GM Magnus Carlsen and German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner. Pique’s involvement was publicly identified in 2025, and he made an look within the chess world on the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Las Vegas that July.
Becoming a member of the official broadcast with GM David Howell, IM Tania Sachdev, in addition to Buettner, he revealed he was attending his first prime chess occasion.
Requested who his favourite participant was, he mentioned: “For me, Magnus. I believe for everybody. He’s a legend.” And which place would Carlsen play on a soccer discipline? “I assume within the midfield as a result of he’ll transfer the group throughout!” the previous defender mentioned.
For me, Magnus. I believe for everybody. He’s a legend.
—Gerard Pique on his favourite participant.
Pique’s curiosity in rethinking conventional sports activities predates his retirement. He based sports activities and media firm Kosmos in 2017 whereas nonetheless enjoying for Barcelona, and later created the Kings League, a seven-a-side soccer competitors constructed round shorter video games, unconventional guidelines, streamers and content material creators, and a presentation designed for digital audiences.
The similarities with among the current experiments in chess are apparent. Each Freestyle Chess and the World Chess League are in several methods makes an attempt to market top-level chess as an leisure product able to attracting audiences past conventional chess followers.
Pique can be a part of a rising group of sporting stars placing cash behind chess. In March, Chess.com reported on Manchester Metropolis striker Erling Haaland’s investment within the FIDE-approved Complete Chess World Championship Tour, which is organized by the group behind Norway Chess.
A month later the Norwegians additionally revealed a $10 million funding round that includes Norwegian cross-country snowboarding famous person Johannes Hosflot Klaebo, former biking world champion Thor Hushovd, and a gaggle of outstanding enterprise buyers.
