Ukraine’s Game4Ukraine Soccer Match Utilizes Metaverse for Fundraising

Besides the real-world event, Game4Ukraine, a charity soccer match announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will also be played at a virtual stadium for the metaverse visitors – featuring exclusive perks. 

The celebrity match will take place on August 5 at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge in London.

“This match will be like your Panini sticker album coming to life,” said the website, referring to the first company to release a collectable football sticker in the 1960s. 

The match will be screened in the UK, broadcast worldwide, and there will be an “official metaverse watch party,” produced by metaverse technology startup Improbable and content provider Global Fan Network (GFN).

The metaverse event, hosted by GFN CEO Robbie Lyle, will start at 5:45 pm BST with an exploration of “a brand new unique stadium.” The game will begin in this virtual stadium 15 minutes later.

The event will include a metaverse-exclusive halftime show and “special” interviews.

According to the press release, attendees from all over the world will be able to interact live with each other, the hosts, and the players interviewed.

Improbable CEO Herman Narula stated that “collaborating with an exceptionally talented team, we aim to make meaningful contribution to the cause by granting fans around the globe to also join a show with real interaction and exclusive content.”

Only Chrome on a laptop or PC is needed to join. The experience is free and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Meanwhile, Game4Ukraine is also raising funds via the sale of customizable jersey non-fungible token (NFT) artwork through Cheeer, the licensed partner of the match.

Restoring the Shelled School 

President Zelenskyy announced the Game4Ukraine will be held in support of his United24 initiative, to raise funds for the reconstruction of the Mykhailo-Kotsiubynsky Lyceum in Chernihiv Oblast. 

The Lyceum was shelled by Russian troops on March 4, 2022, according to the UNITED24 website.

It added that,

“All of the funds raised by the Game4Ukraine, through ticket sales, sponsorship and a special range of merchandise available on the day, will go towards restoring the school.”

The two teams will wear yellow and blue, Ukraine’s national colors, and will be captained by United24 ambassadors: former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko and current Arsenal full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The event will include an address from Zelensky, two DJ sets, and 6 live stage performances. 

The main event will see “50 legends with a combined 3209 international caps, 468 goals, 7 World Cups, 27 Champions League winners, 100+ trophies, 2 Ballon D’ors…and stars from film & music.”

Headline sponsors include Revolut, Uber, ring, and vbet. 

United24 was launched by President Zelenskyy in May 2022 as the main venue for collecting donations: more than $325 million has been raised from over 110 countries since.

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