Kylian Mbappé has become an investor and exclusive player ambassador for Sorare – a player-owned fantasy sports game that leverages NFTs.
As well as one of football’s best talents, the French international and World Cup winner has also been regarded as a ‘successful entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist’.
On his new role, Mbappé stated: “Off the pitch, the most important thing for me is helping empower young people – who might not have access to the type of opportunities others have – to realise and fulfil their dreams and potential.”
Mbappé is Sorare’s first player ambassador of this kind, and the deal represents the player’s first entry into the Web3 space.
He continued: “And with new technologies presenting such profound opportunities, I wanted to partner with an ambitious, global tech brand that would resonate with the young people whose dreams we’re supporting.
“Sorare was the perfect fit, and I was beyond inspired by Nicolas and the team’s enthusiasm for football, fans, and building a better, more inclusive world. I can’t wait to get started and make a global impact with them as their first-ever player ambassador.”
The long-term partnership looks to deliver on the pair’s shared goals of ‘unlocking a new era of sports fandom’ on and off the field, and bringing a force for positive change to the global community.
The partnership will also see Sorare support Kylian Mbappé’s philanthropic venture, Inspired By KM (IBKM), to help disadvantaged young people learn about the opportunities presented by Web3 technology.
“Kylian Mbappé is one of the most talented, celebrated and recognisable athletes in modern sports,” added Nicolas Julia, CEO and Co-Founder at Sorare. “He is a true football icon and will undeniably be one of the most important figures in world football for years to come.
“And like Sorare, he has limitless ambition, he’s fast-moving on and off the pitch, he has a truly global reach, and he is committed to enacting positive change in the world. We’re thrilled to have Kylian join Sorare on our journey to connect millions of sports fans worldwide with their favourite athletes in innovative new ways.”
The announcement follows further milestones for the company including recently closing its first league partnership outside of football with Major League Baseball. The ambassadorship also comes after tennis star Serena Williams’ appointment as an advisor to the board of directors and a record $680m Series B funding round in 2021.
