Manchester United has unveiled “Fantasy United,” the Premier League’s first Web3 fantasy football game, built on the Tezos blockchain. This innovative project merges digital collectibles with an interactive fantasy football experience, enabling fans to collect “Player Trading Cards” and form fantasy squads, thereby enhancing fan engagement and modernising football fandom.
The launch of “Fantasy United” follows a series of successful digital initiatives by Manchester United, aimed at deepening fan interaction and modernising the way fans engage with football. For the 2024/25 season, the club has released Player Trading Cards featuring all first-team players from the men’s squad, including new signings Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro. These hand-drawn cards come in Classic, Rare, and Ultra-Rare editions and are updated with real-time stats.
Fans can use these cards to create five-man squads for the Fantasy United game, where they compete in mini-leagues and earn points based on the real-life performances of Manchester United players, such as goals, assists, tackles, and saves. Throughout the season, fans will receive updates on the most selected players and the strategies employed by United legends and fantasy football experts. Additionally, fans can compete directly against former United players in the Legends leagues, adding an extra layer of excitement.
Early access to Player Trading Cards was granted to Devil-holders, owners of the club’s original digital collection, on Monday, while all other fans can now begin collecting from July 31. Through its digital initiatives, Manchester United has cultivated a growing community of nearly 100,000 members in their Discord channel, where fans can interact, learn about new drops, and access live town halls and Q&As with the club.
The collaboration between Manchester United and the Tezos Blockchain has significantly enhanced fan interaction and engagement, setting a new standard in modern football fandom. As stated on their website, the game will commence with Manchester United’s Premier League opener against Fulham on August 16.
The partnership with Tezos Blockchain began with the launch of ‘The Devils,’ the club’s original digital collection, in 2022, featuring 7,777 unique characters inspired by United’s history. Following a high demand, these digital collectibles were quickly snapped up within a few days. Sunil Singhvi, Head of Culture at Trilitech, Tezos R&D Hub, highlighted the initiative's impact, stating, “Through dynamically updating collectibles, supporters will be able to cheer on their heroes and watch how the season develops.”
Manchester United’s venture into the Web3 space with Fantasy United aligns with a broader trend among football clubs embracing blockchain technology to engage with fans. Manchester City, for example, recently announced a partnership with Quidd to launch a series of Manchester City-themed NFT trading cards, offering fans unique digital memorabilia with special benefits such as merchandise, hospitality tickets, and exclusive experiences.
Last season, fans could claim free hand-drawn digital collectibles at all men’s and women’s home games, resulting in over 750,000 claims. Similarly, Quidd’s collaboration with Manchester City marks its second partnership with a professional football team, following a similar deal with Newcastle United.
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