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Belgian soccer’s Jupiler Pro League has partnered with crypto-goods company Sorare to enable its member clubs to issue crypto trading cards representing their players.

The deal, which covers all 24 clubs from the top two tiers of Belgian soccer, allows users to buy and trade crypto collectibles of players whose values change according to their real-life performances.

Player cards are traded via an auction mechanism and used within Sorare’s gaming platform to win rewards.

The tie-up is a first-of-its-kind deal as Sorare are the first crypto company to partner with a professional soccer league to issue crypto goods. Similar deals in Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL) were struck earlier this year, while the United States women’s national soccer team have also entered a digital collectibles partnership in recent weeks.

Sorare co-founder Nicolas Julia said: “We see this as a game-changing announcement for the crypto goods and the football industry. We believe that Sorare’s technology and user-friendliness will allow football fans to freely trade and play with their digital goods.”

Jupiler Pro League chief executive Pierre Francois added: “The Pro League is proud to be the first of the European professional football leagues to sign such a licensing agreement based on the blockchain technology.

“Sorare is a young company but we have been convinced by its founders’ determination and especially by their willingness to address the new interests of the fans who follow our competitions.”

Created earlier this year, French startup Sorare is expected to announce further deals with other European leagues and clubs in the near future.