What is Sorare? SPFL in partnership with NFT, why no Rangers, Gerard Pique involvement

Global fantasy football NFT Sorare has announced a partnership with the SPFL for 11 of the 12 Premiership clubs.

The Scottish top-flight, minus Rangers, becomes the latest league to join the Sorare ‘community’.

What is Sorare?

Essentially, Sorare is a fantasy football game that combines card collecting with competing in tournaments. However, there are no physical cards or stickers if you think Panini. It is all done digitally through NFTs and the blockchain (more on them later).

Sorare has welcomed 11 of the 12 Premiership clubs on board the fantasy football game. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

Players buy, collect, trade and sell cards, while taking part in competitions to win money and prizes.

There are only a set number of each player available each season, either 1000 (limited), 100 (rare), 10 (super rare) or 1 (unique).

Hold on, explain NFTs and the blockchain?

In the simplest of terms, the blockchain is a record of transactions made through cryptocurrency. To purchase player cards on Sorare, users do it through Ethereum, a technology used for digital money and global payments. It’s regarded as the second largest of its kind behind Bitcoin.

As for NFTs, it stands for Non-fungible token. They are seen as unique and can’t be traded like-for-like. Each player card in Sorare has its own individual number. You essentially own the digital copy of the card – some may say digital asset – but there is nothing actually physical to hold.

Aren’t NFTs controversial?

Depends on your view. Organisations, football clubs and players have all been criticised for getting involved in NFTs. Not only are they bad for the environment, relying on cryptocurrencies which cause large amounts of carbon emissions, clubs, organisations and players are viewed as using their influence to encourage supporters to purchase NFTs inflating their position, i.e helping the rich get richer. For example, John Terry launched his collection at the start of February. A little over a month later the value had plummeted by 90 per cent.

Bringing it back to Scottish football. What does it mean for the SPFL?

Revenue most likely, while Scottish football fans who play Sorare can now buy, collect, trade and sell Scottish Premiership stars from 11 of the country’s top-flight clubs.

Why no Rangers?

Sorare answered this question:

"The SPFL Sorare collection will include players from 11 cinch Premiership Clubs. Rangers has advised the SPFL that it has pre-existing conflicting commercial obligations and that it is therefore not required to participate. It is Sorare's goal to onboard Rangers as soon as we can.”

How does it all work?

Users can take part in weekly tournaments by putting together a team of five players, including one goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward. That team scores points on how well those players perform in real life. Points are awarded for a range of in-game involvements, collated by OptaSports, similar to old-fashioned fantasy football.

Who is all involved in Sorare?

The 11 Premiership clubs are amongst 245 officially licensed clubs. Everyone from Liverpool to Barcelona, River Plate to Yokohama F. Marinos. Interestingly Sorare, which is registered in France, count Antoine Griezmann as an investor and Gerard Pique as a strategic advisor.

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