Marco Verratti has bought an island in the metaverse

After being crowned by Neymar as one of the best midfielders he has ever played with, Marco Verratti has reached another big milestone, but this time off the pitch. The PSG midfielder is the first footballer in the world to invest in digital real estate in the metaverse, a few days ago Verratti bought just one of 25 different islands put up for sale on The Sandbox by Exclusible, a marketplace specialising in luxury NFTs. This is not the first time that Verratti has decided to invest in the world of blockchain technology and the metaverse, in the past months together with Neymar and Paredes he has invested in several NFTs by "Bored Ape". 

"I've always been passionate about innovation and technology in general, and I've recently been introduced to the incredible world of blockchain technology and the metaverse. I realised I was ready to take a big step and be a trailblazer by creating my own private island in The Sandbox. Tomorrow it will not only be mine, it will host thousands of friends and fans willing to share experiences, games, concerts and - why not - even moments of private life. I can't wait to see the future I have imagined come true."

The Italian footballer strongly believes in the virtual world that Mark Zuckerberg and Meta are building, and will even build a big stadium on his island, because for him football will also arrive in the metaverse by the end of the year, it's just a matter of time, he says.