Soccer and metaverse. Two words that fit well together because of the money that both worlds move separately. What can a sport like soccer do in the metaverse? Will we play soccer virtually when VR is implemented on a large scale? Will we see soccer matches in virtual recreations of our favorite soccer stadium or from spaces that recreate the sofa at home or the corner bar?
Brands like Gucci, Coca Cola, Louis Vuitton, Nike or Hyundai are already in the metaverse. And big companies like Google, Meta (formerly Facebook), Microsoft or Apple work directly or indirectly in the metaverse. It is inevitable that the companies that live in the soccer ecosystem have seen in the metaverse a space in which to expand their business. In different ways.
The month of May, the Italian Serie A broadcast for the first time a football match live through the metaverse. To see it you needed a ticket, an NFT, which this time was free. Of course, in North Africa and the Middle East, since the broadcasting rights of the parties in Europe and America are in the hands of the media that broadcast via satellite, cable and/or the Internet. But we cannot rule out that in a few years you could be virtually at the Camp Nou or the Santiago Bernabeu watching your favorite players. Sitting on your sofa with a virtual reality headset.
A space to conquer
The metaverse is seen by many as a practically infinite space to conquer, a virtual place in which to create and build spaces for brands, products and potential customers to coexist . Without physical limitations and with the advantages offered by online promotion, digital purchases and the exchange of NFTs or virtual collectibles.
The Spanish League, for example, announced its own company dedicated to the metaverse. Announced at the end of May under the name of Triverse, it remains to be seen what projects it will offer to the general public. At the moment, on his page he promises free to play games , collectible NFTs and the possibility of creating virtual communities with other fans.
Soccer clubs are also creating their own divisions. Futbol Club Barcelona, for example, through Barca Studios, is working on launching products related to blockchain, NFT and Web3. Precisely, the company Socios.com, dedicated to the development of tokens and virtual collectibles related to sports, has invested 100 million dollars in this project.
But beyond the projects that are still being incubated, we can already find examples that unite soccer and the metaverse in the form of games in which it is possible to obtain rewards and/or acquire collectibles such as NFTs. We mention three of them. But it is likely that more will arise when you are reading this article.
Meta soccer
We start with MetaSoccer, which claims to be the first metaverse soccer game. A game that reminds us of those that you have probably played on PC or video console. Its purpose is that you can manage your own club and literally generate income while you play. But unlike console or computer games, this is a game for the metaverse. With which in the game there is room for cryptocurrencies and digital collectibles.
In other words. By default, the game is free. But if you want to get certain players and assistants for your team, you will need to go through the box. Hence, on the game page there is a market where you can acquire players, individually or in groups. All this in dollars or in MS Cash (MSC / MSU), the virtual currency of the game.
In MetaSoccer you will have to form your team, train it, improve its performance and characteristics, and face it against other teams. Throughout this process, you can get rewards in the form of tokens or virtual currency.
At the moment, the game is in the Beta phase, so there are still elements to be introduced, such as the 3D stadium system, in the form of NFT, which will allow you to earn money by selling tickets to watch your matches. Or the creation of competitions and events like those that are already taking place all over the world in the field of eSports.
Intergalactic football
A virtual soccer universe. This is the cover letter for Intergalactic Football, another online game that unites soccer and the metaverse. Its dynamic is similar to the previous title. It is about creating your own soccer team and managing it in this particular metaverse.
This project is also in the beta phase of development, so you can be one of the first to create a team, which also comes with a welcome pack with your first players. 2D simulated matches are expected in the future, and later 3D simulated matches, using technology from the Unity video game engine.
In the process of creating players, their attributes and characteristics come into play . Whether your players are better or worse will depend on the investment you make in the form of virtual currency. About 100,000 coins to start. By the way, your token or virtual currency is called Galactic Gold (GG) and it is with which you will buy and improve players. Plus, you’ll earn rewards in that currency as you play.
Being in an early stage of development, much remains to be done. An opportunity to be part of the project and be one of the first to be there.
Soccer City
Another project that unites soccer and metaverse through the game is Soccer City. Behind this game is Eleven Kings, a video game company that has Ronaldinho as the visible face of the game. For the rest, it is a game closer to the concept of a metaverse game than soccer.
As explained on its official page, you can follow your favorite clubs as a fan and earn tokens. Of course, to follow your team you will surely have to pay tokens. But the key is to buy land in the game, create your own club, collect NFTs and create your own virtual football company. Within the game, of course.
When the tournaments are running, you can participate in them, get tokens and virtual currency, sell tickets or part of your business… A hybrid between a soccer game and business management. By the way, his virtual currency is called $SOCCR.
As in previous projects, on the official Soccer City website we can see a roadmap explaining the development phases of the game. By the end of 2023, the virtual reality game part should be finished and running, a worldwide competition (Meta World Cup), as well as other competitions, launches of NFTs, etc. By then we’ll see how the game looks.
