The U.S’s ‘Major League Soccer’ (MLS) have teamed up with fantasy sports platform ‘Sorare’ in a multi-year deal designed to extend the league’s fan experience.

Developed in 2018, Sorare is a fantasy football platform where players can buy, sell or trade digital NFT player cards.

With over 230 clubs officially licensed with the platform, Sorare harnesses blockchain technology and uses Ethereum as the trading cryptocurrency.

The deal highlights cryptocurrency’s and NFT’s integration into the sporting industry with many sports and football teams also creating fantasy leagues for their fans.

MLS is North America’s fastest growing sports league with most of its fan-base being younger and more in tune with Sorare’s operations.

Under the agreement, Sorare plans to leverage the league’s success by launching NFT trading cards for all the MLS players.

The exclusive NFT collection will launch over the upcoming months and will allow fans to collect and play with their favourite MLS teams and players.

MLS’s SVP of emerging ventures, Chris Schlosser, said the league’s expansion is aligned with its mission to expand its global reach and enrich fan’s experiences.

“We’re excited to continue our progressive approach to bring NFTs to MlS with industry leader Sorare,” Schlosser said.

“Utilising the latest technology to provide fans the opportunity to add MLS players and future stars to their personal collections and give them an interactive free-to-play fantasy soccer game Sorare the obvious choice,” Schlosser added.

The deal is Sorare’s first U.S deal since the platform opened its U.S office at the end of 2021 with Sorare’s chief operating officer, Ryan Spoon, stating the company is excited to welcome MLS to its soccer portfolio.

“From collectors to first-time NFT buyers, our NFT x Fantasy model uniquely engages fans with the sport they love in a way that goes beyond just spectating, and makes them feel truly connected to each team, player and game,” Spoon said.

Sorare is also currently in the bidding to secure the NFT rights to the premier league.

With roots in almost every country and the world’s favourite sports, the fantasy sports market is expected to grow by 14% between 2020 and 2026 to reach USD$48.6 billion (AUD$64.4 billion) value by 2027.