Sorare: here are the most expensive NFTs in Italian Serie A

Sorare has released the list of the most expensive NFT cards of Italian Serie A players. 

Most expensive NFT cards in Serie A

At the top of the list is Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, whose 2.0 card has reached a value of €30,000. 

In second place is Roma midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo, with over €22,000, while Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni completes the podium with €18,872. 

He is followed by Inter striker Lautaro Martínez (€13,659) and another Inter striker Ivan Perišić (over €9,000). 

Most popular players on Sorare

Sorare also published the ranking of the most liked players, based on the number of followers on its platform. 

In first position is Lautaro Martínez with 17 thousand followers, followed by Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan with 8,938 followers. The other Milan player Zlatan Ibrahimovic is 3rd on the podium with 7,245 followers. 

The best Italians in this ranking are Lorenzo Insigne of Napoli with 6,443 followers and Federico Chiesa of Juventus with 6,113 followers.

NFTs and sport – a successful combination

Sorare’s blockchain-based digital fantasy football now has more than 5,000 active players across 11 teams in the Italian Serie A football league. 

According to recent Nielsen Sports Fan Insights research, which looks at the prevalence of fan tokens and NFTs in the sports industry, there is a clear upward trend. 25% of the overall population is aware of sports tokens, but that figure rises to 32% if only fans and supporters are considered. 

In addition, 10% of sports fans are interested in buying tokens to support their favourite team, league or players, while 8% would buy tokens to get involved in the daily activities of their team or idols.

According to Nielsen, these numbers indicate “frenetic” growth, particularly in the world of football. 

After all, the pandemic has challenged the traditional business model of this sector, with closed-door matches, a saturated TV rights market and commercial revenues that are struggling to take off. During last season, Europe’s top clubs lost an average of around €55 million in revenue compared to the 2018/19 season, making it imperative to find other forms of revenue. 

According to Sorare founder and CEO Nicolas Julia, fans are interested in football and their favourite teams, but the way they enjoy themselves and create community has changed a lot. It’s no longer limited to going to the stadium or meeting up to watch games on TV.

Julia said: 

“Sports collectibles have long helped fans celebrate their love of the game and now with NFTs they can store part of their memories, culture and interact with these collectibles”.

According to ISTAT, about 4.5 million people in Italy play football, whereas the fans would be more than 20 million, out of 60 million inhabitants.