FC Barcelona, World of Women Reveal 'Empowerment' Soccer NFT Auction

Spanish soccer giant FC Barcelona has teamed up with NFT project World of Women for the second release of the club’s 10-part “Masterpieces” collection, which artistically spotlights the achievements of iconic players past and present.

Titled “Empowerment,” the digital artwork created by artist Rhi Madeline celebrates women’s club captain Alexia Putellas and “symbolizes transformation and a catalyst for progress,” according to the club.

The gold-adorned artwork depicts Putellas during the Women’s Champions League semi-final match versus German club Wolfsburg in 2022—a game in which she scored a brace (two goals) to lead her team to victory.

The two-day auction for “Empowerment” will begin on June 26 exclusively via the OpenSea marketplace. Physical utility for the NFT—which is minted on Ethereum scaling network Polygon—includes the opportunity to meet Putellas, as well as the ability to claim a signed pair of boots and a physical seat from Barcelona’s stadium, named Spotify Camp Nou, signed by the player.

“When FC Barcelona came to us a few months back, we had a lot of conversations about what the goal of this partnership was, and it quickly felt like a no-brainer,” World of Women COO Shannon Snow told Decrypt.

She detailed the decision to partner with Barcelona, the project’s desire to support the growth of female representation in the game, and why Putellas in particular is an inspirational figure to embody such ambition.

“Representation in women’s soccer and generally women’s sports has been a historical issue,” Snow said, declaring that World of Women’s intention for this partnership is to “truly spotlight the resilience of women through a sports lens, while carving out the time for these meaningful discussions on the past and current challenges.”

“Alexia is one of the most decorated female soccer athletes, and she embodies the rise of women in sports at one of the best soccer clubs in the world,” Snow added. “Our goal is to immortalize the perseverance, ambition, and strength of women like Alexia on the blockchain, creating a lasting legacy.”

Barcelona’s NFT push

Barcelona’s inaugural Masterpiece NFT commemorated Dutch soccer icon Johan Cruyff. Regarded as one of the best to ever grace the field, Cruyff spent five successful years at the Catalonian club in the mid-1970s in a spell that saw him accumulate two more Ballon d'Or awards, after the one he picked up in his departing season at Ajax. 

In 1988, he returned to the club in the management position, and over the next decade became the club’s longest serving and most successful manager with an 11-trophy haul that included four back-to-back La Liga titles. 

His Masterpiece NFT, titled “In A Way, Immortal,” was auctioned at Sotheby’s in July 2022. The 1/1 digital artwork minted on Polygon—with ownership utility ranging from meet-and-greets to an opportunity to play at Spotify Camp Nou—sold for a price of $693,000.