Best Goal Scorer at Euro Soccer Championship to Get NFT Trophy From Gazprom

The player with the best goal at Europe’s international soccer championship this summer will be awarded a special prize. European football’s governing body, UEFA, and the tournament’s sponsor, Russia’s Gazprom, are behind the initiative to present the winner with an NFT trophy.

UEFA, Gazprom to Award Best Goal Prize at Euro 2020

The unique prize will be awarded as part of a sponsorship agreement with the Russian energy giant, which UEFA and Gazprom recently extended for another three years. The deal covers two European national football team finals as well as the Champions League, Europe’s most prestigious professional soccer club tournament.

The non-fungible token (NFT) will represent an original artwork by a famous Russian artist that will be created at the fan zone in Saint Petersburg. Russia’s second-largest city will host seven of a total 51 matches at UEFA Euro 2020 to be played in a dozen different cities across Europe. The tournament was postponed last year due to the Covid-19 crisis but retained its original designation.

The organizers plan to destroy the physical artwork but a fragment will be kept and given to the winner of the “best goal” trophy. “The artwork would be scanned to 3D animated video, which becomes the basis for creating an NFT token,” Gazprom said, quoted by Associated Press. The tournament’s name, the player’s names and the key values of the Football for Friendship program will be coded into the NFT, the company detailed.

Winner to Be Awarded NFT Prize at UEFA Headquarters

Euro 2020 is scheduled to take place June 11 – July 11 this year with the participation of 24 national football teams. The games will be hosted by 11 cities in 11 UEFA countries to celebrate the 60th birthday of the pan-European soccer competition. The tournament will kick off with Italy facing Turkey at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, while the legendary Wembley Stadium in London will host the final.

The winner of the NFT trophy will be invited to receive the digital prize at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland after the tournament. As this is the first time UEFA awards the scorer of the best goal in the championship, the organization is still mulling over the precise criteria it’s going to apply to evaluate contenders. The trophy will be delivered using a hardware crypto wallet, Gazprom revealed.

UEFA and Gazprom extended their partnership to include the Euro 2024 competition. The agreement also covers the UEFA Champions League where the European football governing body cooperates with the Russian energy monopolist since 2012. As reported by sports news outlets, Gazprom holds the sponsorship rights for the UEFA Super Cup, the UEFA Champions League futsal finals and the UEFA Youth League finals as well.