Euro 2020 Winning Italian Football Captain Launches NFT Collection

Giorgio Chiellini, professional footballer and captain of newly crowned Euro 2020 champions Italy, has launched his non-fungible token (NFT) on Blockasset. Chiellini released his digital collection just days before the Euro 2020 final.

Chiellini Jumps Aboard the NFT Bandwagon

According to reports, Chiellini’s digital collections went live exclusively on the Solana-based NFT marketplace Blockasset on July 9. The series is dubbed “The Gladiator“, as it reflects the “gladiatorial spirit“ of the Italian captain, who also plays for Turin-based superclub Juventus. 

At the time of writing, only one bid – worth US$965.70 – had been placed for The Gladiator on Blockasset. 

Besides “owning” Chiellini’s iconic moments from his football career, the highest bidder for the NFT reportedly stands a chance of receiving one of his signed match shirts and also meeting Chiellini in person. Additionally, the bidder will get free tickets to watch him play for the national team or Juventus.

Athletes Embrace NFT

The concept of NFT has become very popular among athletes, especially football and basketball players who see NFTs as a way to connect with fans while also sharing key moments with them. Former English striker Michael Owen is one of several football players to have partnered with Binance Marketplace to exclusively release their digital collections on the platform.

Last week, Crypto News Australia reported rapidly growing interest in sports trading cards among Australians. As a result, Aussie companies like Four Points Collectables and Sport Moments are planning to develop an NFT platform targeting Australian sports fans. 

The NFT market has boomed in popularity over the past few months, with some content trading for millions of dollars. Amid the traction, many VC companies are betting big on the space. Recently, Ordre closed a funding round led by an Australian VC company to expand its fashion technology and NFT project.