Jadon Sancho in virtual avatar

Dhruvan Nair

Jadon Sancho becomes latest footballer to embrace Metaverse craze

Jadon Sancho, Manchester United, Metaverse

The Metaverse has been the talk of the town for some time now, attracting millions of users to it across the world and footballers have been no exception.

What is the Metaverse? Simply put, it is a network of 3D virtual worlds where users can game, connect and experience things in the online world just like in the real world. With the help of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices, a user can easily join and be a part of this exciting new world.

Amongst the many worlds of the Metaverse, there exist features such as MetaSoccer, a blockchain football universe that allows the user to manage a club, scout, train new players etc. as one would in the real world. It is one of the first football metauniverses to allow such a real-world experience while also letting users generate income in the form of cryptocurrency by playing.  

In December 2021, Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey announced that he had become the first footballer to join the Metaverse through MetaSoccer. He became the first NFT football player of the metaverse.

On Wednesday, Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho followed suit and announced to the world that he too is now a part of the expanding metaverse.

In partnership with Genies, an avatar technology company, Sancho’s digital avatar has taken form online. The avatar’s design captures the player’s footballing attributes and signature looks accurately. He sports a custom-made printed red and white football jersey paired with matching cleats on the metaverse.

The player confirmed that he would have more updates on his metaverse experience soon.