FC Barcelona auctions NFT at Sotheby’s New York By BTC Peers

Spanish soccer giant FC Barcelona is entering the NFT space. Its first ever NFT collection is a digital audiovisual artwork that recreates the moment club legend Johan Cryuff scored an acrobatic goal against Atletico Madrid in December 1973.

Called “In a Way, Immortal,” the one-for-one animated edition NFT will be presented in a hybrid online live auction at Sotheby’s along with four other NFTs made up of stills from the animated version, the club said in an official statement.

Sotheby’s is considered the world’s leading destination for art, luxury and collectibles. It will host a live auction at the New York auction house, ending on July 29 at 1 p.m. EDT.

“In a Way, Immortal” NFT is a 40-second film with an original soundtrack played by a 30-piece orchestra with the real noise of FC Barcelona’s loyal supporters at their home stadium, Camp Nou. It comes with an invaluable tool and is currently available on Sotheby’s website, with online bidding already at $32,000.

NFT was partially designed by a high-quality Hollywood team of over 40 computer graphics and visual effects experts, and took over 10,000 production hours to complete the masterpiece. In a speech about the unique project, Jordi Cruyff, son of Johan Cruyff, said:

NFT In a way, Immortal will forever be linked to my father’s legacy. He would be fascinated to see that one of his most beautiful goals with FC Barcelona has been the inspiration to create this unique piece of digital art.

This is just the first of 10 NFTs the Catalan club are looking to roll out as the club plans to celebrate historic moments and players from its illustrious heritage. The club also intends to keep up with market trends and reward fans with future collectibles. Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, ​​said:

Barça, with more than 400 million followers on social networks, is constantly opening new ways to connect with fans and we believe that with the club’s new NFT strategy we found a unique opportunity to continue growing and consolidating the Barça brand.

There are some incentives associated with the “In a way, immortal” NFT. The holder will automatically become Barca’s digital ambassador and will be able to experience some extraordinary football moments. They will also participate in meet and greets with a tour of the club’s famous academy ‘La Masia’.

Perhaps the most exciting incentive is the right to play at the club’s stadium and also take part in an official ball handover.

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