On a sweltering evening, Aug.16, at Seoul World Cup Stadium, Lucas Rodrigues da Silva of FC Seoul scored a crucial goal. Around 12,000 fans rose from their seats, some groaning in despair while others cheered in delight.
Immediately, the chief referee handed the ball to Lee Jae-won, Chiliz’s head of business development in Korea. Lee then placed the ball in an NFC-enabled case in the stadium. After the match, the autographed ball was promptly listed on the Match Worn Shirt website, an auction platform in which Chiliz holds a 20 percent stake.
The entire process was broadcast live and recorded. Anyone who scans the NFC can watch the replay of the goal, a video of the player signing the ball, and access an NFT verifying its authenticity.
Fans eagerly bid against each other to purchase the ball, which eventually sold for $992 after 17 bids. The highest price fetched so far in the K League was 스포츠 $2,485 for a goal-scoring ball from Ki Sung-yueng, surpassing even the price of a Serie A Super Cup final goal ball.
Jung Sung, a strategic business manager at K League, said it’s crucial for a league to create as many opportunities as possible for fan engagement and experiences that spectators can truly enjoy.
“The ultimate goal is to enhance the value of K League, and collaborations like this are key to achieving that,” Jung said.