Team Liquid Acquires EA FC Organization Team Gullit

Utrecht, Netherlands — Global esports organization Team Liquid has acquired Team Gullit, the Dutch EA FC (formerly, FIFA) team named after and captained by legendary Dutch footballer, Ruud Gullit. As the world’s first independent EA FC academy, Team Gullit’s goal is to scout the most promising EA FC talents in the world and turn them into the world’s best athletes. Team Gullit will now be competing under the Team Liquid banner, while continuing to represent partners such as Philips OneBlade.

“Team Gullit built something incredible through their entrepreneurial spirit. They developed a nimble commercial approach in a difficult market that combined great scouting and training, fantastic content and marketing, and a brand connection to Ruud Gullit — a Dutch legend in football. The Team Gullit HQ in Alkmaar will become another TL hub in the Netherlands, where we will be able to hold bootcamps for players and events for our fans. We are proud and grateful to call them a part of Team Liquid,” said Victor Goossens, Co-CEO and founder of Team Liquid, about the acquisition.

Schalk Stalman, CEO of Triple (part of Hypersolid) and Co-Founder of Team Gullit: “When Corné Dubelaar and me started Team Gullit together in 2018, a lot of people thought this was solely because of my personal passion for playing EA FC. But I have always believed in the cultural and commercial impact of gaming and EA FC in particular and this move proves that. Inmy view Team Gullit can prosper further under the wings of Team Liquid and as an advisor I will be closely involved in that process.”

The two organizations share Dutch DNA and a history of winning and developing young talent. In 2024, Team Liquid won the Dota 2 world championship “The International” for a second time, and finished second in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s world championship, M6. Team Liquid has amassed almost $54M in prize money, the most in esports history by a significant margin. Team Gullit’s trophy cabinet boasts many achievements, including the FIFAe World Cup (world champions), the eChampions League, and two European Championships, to name a few.

Team Liquid will inherit a roster that includes players such as Emre Yilmaz (eChampions League 2023 Winner), Levi de Weerd (European Champion), and Manuel Bachoore (2023 FIFA World Champion), all of whom joined Team Gullit at a young age and have been coached to become the best in the game. Collaborative projects such as Alienware’s Pro Lab and the support of tech partners such as SAP’s AI tools will supercharge Team Gullit’s ability to scout, train, and develop future EA FC champions. 

“When we started, we felt like the new kids on the block, but we had a vision for an academy system that would develop the best players in the world. We achieved that, and we're taking it a step further by joining the best organization in the world. I'm excited to stand alongside legends in their sports like Michael Jordan,” said Ruud Gullit, the namesake of Team Gullit. 

This acquisition formalizes a partnership that began in 2024 at the Esports World Cup, where Team Liquid and Team Gullit joined forces to participate in the event. Team Gullit player Manuel Bachoore finished Top 8 in EA FC, contributing to Team Liquid’s tally that would eventually secure the organization 2nd place in the Esports World Cup Club Championship and its prize of $4M. Team Gullit will henceforth compete as Team Liquid in all competitions. 

Corné Dubelaar, Team Gullit’s founder, had this to say about the acquisition: “Over the last 7 years, we created a juggernaut in the EA FC scene. We won every possible trophy and created a huge fanbase. I'm very pleased Team Liquid acquired the organization because this is a step in the right direction towards long-term domination of the game. Team Liquid's infrastructure, resources, and experience will help achieve that.”

Moving forward, Team Gullit co-founder Corné Dubelaar will step down from day-to-day operations of the EA FC team but will continue as an advisor of Team Liquid.

Team Liquid’s mission is to become a multi-generational global leader in esports, and the acquisition of Team Gullit is Team Liquid’s second in as many years. In 2024, Team Liquid acquired South East Asian esports organization STUN.GG and its Mobile Legends: Bang Bang teams, Aura Esports in Indonesia and Echo Esports in the Philippines. These moves reinforce Team Liquid global expansion with local expertise, and extend the organization's footprint to a wider audience. Football-loving countries such as the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, and more recently the United States, comprise a large part of Team Gullit’s community of 1.4 million followers across various platforms. The organization’s eye for educational content is one of their main draws on social media.