Manchester United, one of the world’s biggest football clubs, has partnered with Tezos to launch the Premier League’s first Web3 fantasy football game. The game will allow fans to manage Manchester United players virtually.
The game has been developed on the Tezos blockchain and aims to enhance fan engagement through interactive collectibles.
The game, called Fantasy United, has been launched for the upcoming 2024/25 season and integrates digital collectibles with a highly interactive fantasy football experience. Fans can create fantasy squads and collect unique player trading cards, enhancing fan interaction and helping modernize football fandom. The game is the latest in a series of digital initiatives by the club to deepen fan interaction.
The Player Trading Cards feature all of United’s first-team squad, including new signings Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro, and come in Classic, Rare, and Ultra-Rare editions. They are also hand-drawn and updated with real-time stats. Manchester United fans can use the cards to create five-man squads in the Fantasy United game and compete with other mini-league players. Players earn points based on their real-life performance, like goals, assists, tackles, and saves. Ronan Joyce, the director of digital innovation at Manchester United, stated,
“Player Trading Cards allow United fans to collect the whole men’s first team squad, to see those collectibles evolve throughout the season as games are played and goals are scored and have the ability to play those cards in an exciting fantasy football game.”
Holders of The Devils, Manchester United’s original digital collection, also developed in partnership with Tezos, were given early access to the Player Trading Cards. Other fans were able to collect the trading cards from July 31. The club has been able to cultivate a community of almost 100,000 members through various digital initiatives. Sunil Singhvi, the head of culture at Trilitech, Tezos R&D Hub, stated,
“Player Trading Cards and Fantasy United is an innovative use of blockchain technology to enable United fans to have a deeper connection with their favorite club. Through dynamically updating collectibles, supporters will be able to cheer on their heroes and watch how the season develops.”
The collaboration between Manchester United and Tezos has been highly successful and began with the launch of The Devils, which featured 7,777 unique characters, each inspired by United’s unique history.
Manchester United’s foray into Web3 is nothing new as more and more football clubs embrace blockchain technology to connect with fans. Not to be left behind, rivals Manchester City recently announced a similar partnership with Quidd to launch a series of Manchester City-themed NFT trading cards. The collaboration with Quidd offers City fans unique digital memorabilia, special benefits, merchandise, hospitality tickets, and exclusive experiences.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
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