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Former Barca star Dani Alves welcomes fans to metaverse

The football player boasts over 43 trophies and over 1,000 professional games

Published: Sun 17 Jul 2022, 12:10 AM

Updated: Sun 17 Jul 2022, 11:21 PM

By
Sandhya D'Mello

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Brazilian footballer Daniel Alves da Silva, popularly known as Dani Alves, known for his illustrious time at Football Club Barcelona launched his NFT project in collaboration with luxurious watchmaker Backes & Strauss and NFT & Metaverse consultant ColossalBit recently in Dubai.

Alves, a prolific defender, who predominantly plays at the right-back position, boasts over 43 trophies and over 1,000 professional games.

Alves was in Dubai and expressed his desire to connect to his fans not only in the region but also in the virtual world as he launched his NFT. The sheer futuristic experience of walking in his own NFT VR room live made him feel “surreal”.

“It was a surreal moment because, for footballers, our legacy is defined by fandom. I always wanted to reciprocate the love that my fans have shown me for decades. Now, wherever they are, they can simply visit the Dani Alves Metaverse and NFT room, interact with me, and get a better impression of my career, the trophies I won, and my achievements. So, I was overwhelmed with joy and excitement as I first walked into it,” Alves told Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview.

So will fans get access to visit Alves’ VR Room? The NFT holders will receive a special link that will give them direct access to Alves’ metaverse room through a phone or a VR headset.

“The virtual reality (VR) experience will of course be more immersive with the headset, in that they can walk inside the room in first-person POV (point of view). The browser or phone access will allow them to walk around through their avatars. Regardless of their channels, the metaverse experience will not disappoint,” said Alves.

Backes & Strauss and Dubai-based ColossalBit offered to help Alves celebrate the 43 wonderful memories of each trophy he has won so far in his footballing career. “I wanted to personally be able to invite fans and people to be part of my history by choosing the watch and NFT that brings them the most vivid memories of these 43 different victories. And having the chance to have my own Museum in the metaverse and interacting with the fans was a no-brainer,” added 38-year old, Alves

Alves has assured to interact with his fans if they are a NFT holder and join the Dani Alves Metaverse room. Alves says “if I am there we can interact, we can do video chat, high-five each other through our avatars, and much more, it’s like an advanced version of Instagram live but more immersive. It’s going to be fun”.

British luxury watchmaker Backes & Strauss (B&S) has launched its own Alves Trophy Collection comprising 43 exquisite timepieces. This collection commemorates every trophy that the famed footballer has won during a professional career that has spanned 22 years with 6 major football clubs and his national team - starting with his first major trophy with football club Bahia, then moving on to Barcelona, Juventus, and PSG, and extending all the way to the Tokyo Olympics Gold that he won with the Brazil National Team.

— sandhya@khaleejtimes.com