Sorare is a blockchain-based fantasy sports platform founded in 2018 in Paris by Nicolas Julia and Adrien Montfort. The platform combines traditional fantasy sports mechanics with NFT player cards — users collect officially licensed digital cards representing real-world athletes and use them to build lineups for weekly fantasy tournaments, earning prize cards and ETH based on their players’ real performance.
Sorare has licensing agreements with over 600 football clubs (and growing), including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and most major European leagues. The company has also expanded into NBA (basketball) and MLB (baseball) in the United States.
Key Statistics
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Nicolas Julia, Adrien Montfort |
| Blockchain | Ethereum / StarkWare (L2) |
| Club licenses | 600+ worldwide |
| Fundraise (2021) | $680M Series B (SoftBank led) |
| Notable investors | Benchmark, Accel, D1 Capital |
| Sports | Football (soccer), NBA, MLB |
How It Works
Card Tiers
| Tier | Edition Size | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Common | Unlimited (non-tradeable) | Grey |
| Limited | 100 | Bronze |
| Rare | 10 | Silver |
| Super Rare | 1 | Gold |
| Unique | 1 (one-of-one) | Special |
Higher-tier cards have better in-game bonuses and are the primary trading market. Common cards are free for new users but not tradeable.
Fantasy Gameplay
- Goals, assists, clean sheets, saves
- Decisive rating multiplied by card tier bonus
Top finishers earn prize cards and ETH rewards. Weekly competitions create persistent engagement — unlike one-time NFT collection drops.
The NFT Card Market
Sorare has generated significant secondary market volume. Notable sales:
- Cristiano Ronaldo Unique card: sold for $289,920 (July 2021)
- Kylian Mbappé Super Rare: high five-figure sales
- Erling Haaland Unique: six-figure range at peak
At peak in 2021–2022, top cards for elite players like Messi, Neymar, and Ronaldo regularly traded above $10,000–$100,000. The market has since moderated to more sustainable levels.
Blockchain Architecture
Sorare originally issued cards on Ethereum mainnet but moved to a StarkWare Layer 2 (StarkEx) solution to reduce gas costs and improve transaction speed. This allows users to trade cards without paying prohibitive Ethereum gas fees — critical for a platform targeting sports fans unfamiliar with gas mechanics.
Licensing and Expansion
Sorare’s competitive moat is its licensing portfolio. The company has invested heavily in club-by-club licensing — a complex process requiring individual agreements with each club’s licensing department.
Key leagues represented:
- Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1
- Champions League clubs
- MLS (Major League Soccer)
US sports expansion:
- NBA licensing: Players are issued as digital cards for basketball competitions
- MLB licensing: Baseball players represented on the platform
- Expansion increased Sorare’s addressable market beyond European football audiences
UK Gambling Regulation Concerns
In 2022, the UK Gambling Commission opened an investigation into whether Sorare’s pack-based card acquisition mechanics constituted gambling under UK law. The blind-box randomness of packs — where users pay to receive a random card — drew regulatory scrutiny. Sorare adjusted its UK offering to offer pack alternatives and contest the classification. The case highlighted broader regulatory risks for NFT gaming platforms.
Market History
| Period | Context |
|---|---|
| 2018–2020 | Early development; small community; all clubs on Ethereum mainnet |
| 2021 | Explosive growth; $680M Series B; top card prices soar |
| 2022 | Market correction; card prices fall 60–80%; UK regulatory scrutiny |
| 2023–2024 | Platform stable; NBA/MLB expansion; volumes lower but sustained |