FC Barcelona is exploring technologies such as blockchain, non-fungible tokens (NFT), and the Metaverse to create opportunities for growth and drive sustainability. Meanwhile, the renowned Brazilian footballer joins the likes of Mesut Ozil and Antoine Griezmann in embracing alternative currencies.
Spanish football club FC Barcelona (Barca), one of the world’s leading football clubs, has revealed plans to enter the Metaverse besides having NFT collection plans. Club President Joan Laporta announced the intention to build a Barcelona metaverse during a keynote speech at Mobile World Congress; the President detailed its digital plans for the future.
Laporta said that the club had plans to create its cryptocurrency without revealing further details. The President reiterated that the club generally regarded blockchain as a critical tool for creating effective services for the club’s 300 million fans worldwide. He stated:
“We are innovative in the use and adaptation of technologies, and we will continue to be so […] in recent times there has been a lot of attention to blockchain products and services such as NFTs and metaverse […] We should be able to offer digital products to our members, our fans that will align with the value of the club and generate a very interesting emotional experience.”
New opportunities with NFTs and metaverse
With a 120-years history, FC Barcelona is among the biggest football clubs in the world, with millions of fans globally. Football fans consider visiting the club’s stadium Camp Nou a football pilgrimage with millions traveling annually to see the 99 thousand capacity stadium in all its glory. With its Metaverse and NFT plans, Barca also intends to diversify and integrate all kinds of esports and entertainment lines of business. Laporta added:
“We want to generate new opportunities for growth […] our goal is to win titles and to make our fans happy, but we also have to profit from opportunities in the sports industry. It is a matter of survival.”
Roberto Carlos is launching cryptocurrency $RC3
Meanwhile, Brazilian football icon Roberto Carlos has announced launching a new cryptocurrency based on his likeness. The digital asset will go by the name $RC3 and will trade on the Rally platform. The move adds another footballer embracing alternative currencies and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), with the ties between the sport and crypto strengthening at a rapid rate since the start of last year.
Carlos, however, becomes one of the first players to create their form of cryptocurrency. He said apart from being an investment vehicle. The cryptocurrency would be used for merchandise giveaways, private NFT drops, and other benefits and experiences. He stated:
“I’ve been interested in crypto for a while, and excited to take the leap with $RC3 where I can share access and ownership with my biggest fans […] throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to build incredible relationships with fans all over the world, and $RC3 represents a new frontier to take the connection to the next level.”
Financial rewards aren’t the only reason football clubs and footballers enter the NFT and the metaverse space. The connection between football fans and their team is fantastic. With the technology available, it can help to unite them even more.
Tom is a freelance writer with over 10-years’ experience in content creation, blog writing, and SEO specializing in the blockchain and cryptocurrency niche. As a philosophical figurehead, he believes that to make our world a better place, we must invest in incorruptible products and procedures, of which Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are leading examples.
