Sorare

Overview

Sorare (sorare.com) is the leading fantasy sports NFT marketplace and play-to-earn game, founded in 2018 in Paris by Nicolas Julia (CEO) and Adrien Montfort (CTO) — both former executives at blockchain startup Stratumn — to bring sports fans closer to their favorite players, teams, and leagues through officially licensed digital cards.

Sorare's pitch combines three things in one product: soccer (and now NBA, MLB), NFTs, and fantasy gaming. Fans collect scarce, officially licensed digital player cards — each one a non-fungible token on Ethereum — build fantasy lineups, compete in weekly tournaments, and earn rewards in ETH and cards.

Sorare has signed the largest portfolio of licensed clubs and leagues in sports gaming: 300+ iconic teams, clubs, and organisations including the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, NBA, NBPA, MLB, and MLBPA. Legendary athletes — Kylian Mbappé, Serena Williams, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Rio Ferdinand, Antoine Griezmann, Gerard Piqué, Blake Griffin, and Rudy Gobert — have joined as investors, ambassadors, and advisors.

The marketplace runs on Ethereum with Starkware validity proof scaling (implemented July 2021) to avoid the high gas fees and slow transaction times that have historically made Ethereum NFT trading expensive. A migration to Solana has been announced for late 2025 to further reduce transaction costs.

Sorare's card rarity tiers — Limited, Rare, Super Rare, and Unique — create scarcity tiers similar to physical trading cards. Each week, Sorare runs fantasy tournaments across football, NBA, and MLB where managers earn ETH and card rewards based on real-world player performance. Sorare Moments extends the platform to video highlight NFTs (launched with Bundesliga in 2022).

Sorare has raised $743M+ across 5 funding rounds, including a $680M Series B in September 2021 at a $4.3B valuation led by SoftBank — making it one of the best-funded NFT marketplaces globally.

Fees & Pricing

Sorare's fee structure combines a marketplace fee with licensing royalties to partnered clubs and leagues — reflecting the officially licensed nature of each card.

Component	Fee
Marketplace fee (secondary)	3-5% — varies by sport and card tier
Primary sale (card drop)	Variable — set by Sorare per drop (auctions and fixed-price depending on rarity tier)
Licensing royalty (primary)	Estimated 10-20% to partnered clubs and leagues
Licensing royalty (secondary)	Estimated 1-2% to partnered clubs and leagues
Ethereum network gas	Reduced via Starkware L2 scaling — significantly lower than Ethereum L1
Tournament rewards (player earns)	Paid in ETH and cards — no fee to enter tournaments

Because royalties are paid to partnered clubs and leagues (not individual artists as in art NFTs), Sorare's royalty model is best described as 'league/team-determined' — the percentage is set contractually with each partner. Sorare does not publicly disclose per-club royalty rates.

Features & Tools

Officially licensed digital cards

Sorare's defining feature is official licensing. 300+ clubs and leagues — Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, NBA, NBPA, MLB, MLBPA — are officially partnered. Each card carries the club logo, player image, and league branding under official license.

Fantasy sports tournaments (play-to-earn)

Weekly fantasy tournaments across football, NBA, and MLB — build a lineup from your card collection, earn points based on real-world player performance, compete in divisions, and win rewards in ETH and rare cards. No fee to enter tournaments.

Ethereum / Starkware L2 scaling

Sorare runs on Ethereum with Starkware validity-proof scaling, implemented July 2021 — dramatically reducing gas fees vs Ethereum L1. A migration to Solana has been announced for late 2025 to further reduce costs.

Card rarity tiers

Cards are issued in four rarity tiers: Limited (most accessible, ~1,000+ per season per player), Rare (~100 per season), Super Rare (~10 per season), and Unique (1 of 1). Each tier carries different tournament eligibility.

300+ club & league partnerships

The largest portfolio of licensed clubs in sports gaming — Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, NBA, NBPA, MLB, MLBPA. Includes Juventus, Real Madrid, PSG, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and most major clubs globally.

Legendary athlete investors & ambassadors

Kylian Mbappé, Serena Williams, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Rio Ferdinand, Antoine Griezmann, Gerard Piqué, Blake Griffin, and Rudy Gobert have invested in or endorsed Sorare — bringing mainstream sports credibility.

Token rewards in ETH

Tournament rewards paid in ETH and rare cards — Sorare's play-to-earn model. Top-division managers earn significant ETH rewards based on real-world player performance.

Sorare Moments (video highlight NFTs)

Launched with Bundesliga in 2022, Sorare Moments extends the platform to video highlight NFTs — collect specific in-game moments as NFTs alongside the player card collection.

Sorare Wallet

Sorare Wallet is the platform's native self-custodial wallet — connect with MetaMask or use Sorare Wallet to manage your card NFTs and ETH rewards.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Officially licensed digital cards — 300+ clubs and leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, NBA, MLB)
Largest portfolio of licensed clubs in sports gaming
Fantasy sports tournaments (play-to-earn) — rewards in ETH and rare cards
Ethereum / Starkware L2 scaling — reduced gas fees
Card rarity tiers (Limited, Rare, Super Rare, Unique) — clear scarcity model
Legendary athlete investors and ambassadors (Mbappe, Messi, Serena Williams, Zidane)
$680M Series B at $4.3B valuation — top-tier funding
Sorare Wallet — self-custodial wallet option
Sorare Moments — video highlight NFTs (launched with Bundesliga 2022)
Free to enter tournaments
110+ countries supported

Cons

3-5% marketplace fee — higher than newer zero-fee venues (Tensor, Magic Eden's Solana side)
League/team-determined royalty model — clubs and leagues get 10-20% of primary + 1-2% of secondary (built into pricing, not optional)
Tier-3 in NFT marketplace directory rankings — much smaller volume than OpenSea / Blur
$5-8M monthly volume is modest vs top-tier marketplaces
Subject to fantasy sports regulatory restrictions in some US states
Ethereum gas fees still apply (offset by Starkware L2)
Announced Solana migration (late 2025) — uncertainty for collectors holding cards on Ethereum
Limited asset variety — only fantasy sports cards and Moments; no art / PFP / music / domain NFTs
Learning curve — Sorare's fantasy game requires understanding player performance, divisions, and tournament strategy
Card values can be volatile with real-world player performance — injuries, form, transfers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sorare?

Sorare (sorare.com) is the leading fantasy sports NFT marketplace and play-to-earn game, founded 2018 in Paris by Nicolas Julia and Adrien Montfort. Fans collect officially licensed digital player cards (football, NBA, MLB), build fantasy lineups, compete in weekly tournaments, and earn rewards in ETH and cards. 300+ clubs and leagues partnered.

How much does Sorare charge?

Sorare charges a 3-5% marketplace fee on secondary sales, varying by sport and card tier. Primary sale (card drop) prices are set by Sorare per drop. Licensing royalties of an estimated 10-20% on primary sales and 1-2% on secondary sales are paid to partnered clubs and leagues.

When was Sorare founded?

Sorare was founded in September 2018 in Paris by Nicolas Julia (CEO) and Adrien Montfort (CTO), both former executives at blockchain startup Stratumn. The platform migrated from Loom to Ethereum in April 2020 and raised a $680M Series B at a $4.3B valuation in September 2021.

Which blockchain does Sorare use?

Ethereum with Starkware validity-proof scaling (implemented July 2021) to reduce gas fees. A migration to Solana has been announced for late 2025 to further reduce transaction costs and improve scalability.

Which sports and leagues does Sorare support?

Football (soccer) — including Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS — plus NBA and MLB. Each card is officially licensed by the club, league, and players' association (NBPA, MLBPA).

How do Sorare tournaments work?

Each week, Sorare runs fantasy tournaments where managers build lineups from their card collection. Players earn points based on real-world performance, and top-ranked managers in each division earn ETH and rare card rewards. Free to enter tournaments.

What are Sorare card rarity tiers?

Sorare cards are issued in four rarity tiers: Limited (most accessible, ~1,000+ per season per player), Rare (~100 per season), Super Rare (~10 per season), and Unique (1 of 1). Higher rarity tiers unlock higher tournament divisions and greater rewards.

Is Sorare non-custodial?

Yes. Sorare is non-custodial — connect MetaMask or use Sorare Wallet. Your card NFTs and ETH rewards stay in your wallet.

Does Sorare pay creator royalties?

Sorare pays licensing royalties to partnered clubs and leagues — estimated 10-20% on primary sales and 1-2% on secondary sales. Royalty rates are negotiated contractually with each club/league partner; Sorare does not publicly disclose per-club rates.

Is Sorare available worldwide?

Sorare operates in 110+ countries. Some regional restrictions apply (e.g., certain US states have legal restrictions on paid fantasy sports, so US users should check local eligibility).

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