Spanish soccer giant FC Barcelona has recently collaborated with NFT project World of Women for the second release of the club’s 10-part “Masterpieces” collection, an innovative approach to honoring the achievements of iconic players. This latest masterpiece, titled “Empowerment,” is a digital artwork created by artist Rhi Madeline, celebrating women’s club captain Alexia Putellas.
While this collaboration signifies a progressive move for the club and the NFT world, some skeptics might argue that there is still room for improvement in terms of practicality and widespread adoption. On the other hand, proponents of NFTs could view this as an exciting opportunity that merges sports, art, and cutting-edge technology.
The artwork itself symbolizes transformation and acts as a catalyst for progress. It captures Putellas in action during the Women’s Champions League semi-final match versus German club Wolfsburg in 2022, where she scored a decisive brace. The two-day auction for “Empowerment” will commence on June 26, exclusively on the OpenSea marketplace. The NFT, minted on Ethereum scaling network Polygon, holds physical utility such as opportunities to meet Putellas, claim a signed pair of boots, and obtain a signed physical seat from Barcelona’s Spotify Camp Nou stadium.
World of Women COO, Shannon Snow, discusses how the partnership with FC Barcelona was an obvious choice, given their shared goals of growing female representation in sports and celebrating inspirational figures like Putellas. However, one could argue that the conversations surrounding representation in women’s sports must delve deeper than simply creating digital art tributes.
Snow highlights the historical problem of representation in women’s soccer and women’s sports in general, stating that World of Women’s aim for this partnership is to “truly spotlight the resilience of women through a sports lens.” Alexia Putellas’ success story exemplifies the perseverance, ambition, and strength of women in sports, and merging her story with blockchain technology could create a lasting legacy.
This is not Barcelona’s first foray into the world of NFTs. Their inaugural Masterpiece NFT commemorated Dutch soccer icon Johan Cruyff, cementing his legendary status and contributions to the club. The digital artwork, titled “In A Way, Immortal,” sold for an impressive sum of $693,000.
In conclusion, the partnership between FC Barcelona and World of Women presents an interesting opportunity to connect sports, art, and technology. While this collaboration does generate buzz and offers unique experiences for fans, it also raises questions about the effectiveness of NFTs in addressing the larger conversation around representation in women’s sports. Ultimately, only time will reveal the true impact of such endeavors on the growth and development of women’s soccer and sports in general.
Source: Decrypt
