Monday, October 17, 2022 will mark the annals in the history of soccer. Indeed, the golden ball will be associated with an NFT, registered on the Tezos blockchain (#baguette). The event will be broadcast in more than 200 countries and will give visibility to NFTs.
Several types of NFT on the Tezos Blockchain
This event is commemorated by three types of NFTs:
- True Pyrites (3 in number)
- The Pyrite Fragments (2022 in number)
- The digital trophies (awarded to the 5 winners of the competition)
As far as the digital trophies are concerned, they correspond to the winners of the Golden Ball 2022 (Men’s Golden Ball, Women’s Golden Ball, Kopa Trophy, Yachin Trophy, Gerd Müller Trophy). They are not for sale and would therefore correspond rather to what is called SBT (Soul Bond Token), because they are not transferable. These digital trophies should be minted as NFTs every year.
The “Pyrite Fragments” were designed by the artist Léo Caillard and the magazine l’Équipe (organizer of the Golden Ball). Two additional creations will be auctioned on November 8 during a physical sale organized by Millon in Paris. They will give access to a place in next year’s Golden Ball ceremony.
The NFTs will be registered on the Tezos blockchain. Why this choice? Simply because this blockchain is “eco-friendly” with its operation in PoS (Proof of Stake).
In addition, it is one of the flagships of French startups in the field of Web3 and Blockchain. We can therefore say that it is a very good choice! (#proudtobefrench).
A well-tested marketing plan
It must be said that the organizers of the Golden Ball know what to do when it comes to marketing. As early as September 15, the True Pyrites were put up for auction. As a reminder, there were only 3 copies.
Obtaining the NFT allowed to participate to the Golden Ball 2022 ceremony as a VIP! Placed in the first rows, they will be in the front row to attend the ceremony. What to delight the biggest soccer fans for this event that everyone was waiting for.
The ceremony took place at the Châtelet theater in Paris. And the wait was worth it. Karim Benzema lifts his first golden ball at the age of 34. Let’s salute this achievement since it had not happened since Zidane in 1998! The stars then rushed around the new Golden Ball.
But then, what are the 2022 other NFT for? Well, some of them will give the right to signed jerseys of the nominees, 50 limited Sorare cards of players (including Kylian Mbappé, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior or Joshua Kimmich), or a right to vote on the potential directions of the Golden Ball in Web3.
Let’s spoil the party a bit by pointing out that the platform will take 7.5% of the transaction fees on each resale of NFT on the secondary market. Fees that are quite high. But hey, if you like it, you don’t count, right?
Choice partnerships to achieve their Goals
The organizers of the Golden Ball are excellent in marketing, and they know how to surround themselves!
First of all, they chose the artist Léo Caillard, very well known in the NFT world. He studied at the Ecole des Gobelins before going to the United States (in the middle of the subprime crisis!) to finally get interested in NFT a few years later.
His style is recognizable at a glance: he questions the relationship between past and present by reappropriating ancient works to bring them up to date. If you want more information, you can also check out his work here.
Then, it is the Tezos team that accompanied the project on the Blockchain and NFT part. As a reminder, Tezos works in Proof of Stake, which, unlike Proof of Work (#Bitcoin), consumes much less energy. They had raised over $230 million in their ICO in 2017, no less. The Tezos ecosystem is growing more and more, especially with the Tezos Foundation or Nomadic Labs.
Finally, Ledger is also associated with the project since they offered Karim Benzema a special “Golden” edition of the physical wallet. This is a good opportunity for the French unicorn, which is valued at more than 1.5 billion euros, to gain visibility.
Even in a bear market, NFTs do not fail to make the news. In any case, this is very good news for the mass adoption of this new technology.
Coming from a teaching background, I’ve become passionate about the world of Blockchain. I’m eager to learn more and share the fruit of my research through my articles.
