The Argentina Football Association (AFA), the AFA, home to legends and a symbol of national pride, has decided to jump headfirst into the murky waters of NFTs with STEPN.Genesis Sneakers NFTs? Seriously? Believe me, I get the desire to adapt and innovate and try to attract younger people. This seems like the kind of approach that turns the soul of the game into a cash grab.
Is This Really About Fandom?
Let’s be real, this isn’t just about engaging with fans at a more meaningful level. It's about monetization. It’s not about fulfilling your obligations to a fanbase that already bleeds blue and white. AFA states that their global expansion has an objective of reaching 200 million Web 3.0 users. They’re committed to providing opportunities for a healthy active lifestyle with this project. Does anybody actually think that hawking virtual sneakers is going to get a generation moving again?
Imagine the metrics you would use to measure what it means to be a football fan. It's the shared experience of cheering in the stands, the collective heartbreak of a missed penalty, the inherited passion passed down through generations. It’s the ratty guitar pick and the faded t-shirt. It’s the moments frozen in your memory, not an NFT of a picture.
To us, that feels a like a shrewd play to leverage the fervent loyalty of Argentina fans. The younger generation, especially, may be more interested in the engaging universe of digital collectibles. Are we seriously about to start determining who gets to be a fan based on who holds the most valuable NFT? Is the beautiful game seriously just a glorified NFT commodity cash-grab now?
Tradition Sacrificed For Technology's Altar?
The AFA is essentially saying that the way to consolidate passion for the Argentina National Team among the next generation of fans is through NFTs. I’d contend that real passion is predicated on something much deeper than blockchain-enabled scarcity. It’s rooted in legacy, in shared experiences of victory and loss, in the spirit that exists beyond the field between player and fan.
Consider this: my grandfather, a die-hard fan since the 1950s, wouldn't know an NFT if it bit him. His passion is fueled by stories, by grainy black-and-white footage, by the feeling of being part of something bigger than himself. The question becomes, how do you represent that as a digital token. You can't. You cheapen it. You commodify it.
This isn't progress. It's a perversion. It’s similar to the loss of value incurred by swapping out a beloved family keepsake with a knock-off version. Unlike its faded original, the replica glows bright gold and appears pristine. It misses out on the history, soul, and spirit of its original.
The partnership with STEPN, a Web 3.0 lifestyle app with over 5.7 million registered users, might seem like a smart business move on paper. But at what cost? Are we ready to lose the qualities that made us love and appreciate football the way it is now?
Sneakers or Soul: What AFA Really Selling?
STEPN describes itself on their website as being influenced by the Argentina National Team’s discipline, excellence, and passion. I think their inspiration comes a little more from the lucrative opportunity. Perhaps it is because they have no real love for the game. They’ve worked with Adidas, Atlético De Madrid, Steve Aoki and ASICS to name a few. Notice a trend? It’s entirely focused on making money using well-known brands.
The promise of tangible rewards such as signed jerseys and match tickets are a clear and obvious attempt to make things more enticing. It is similar to the proposition, “Okay, so we’re selling you this digital bauble. Here is a small piece of real-world value to get you over the line on your purchase. It doesn’t work that way, AFA.
The long-term vision of a new kind of fandom powered by motion and inspired by champions sounds like marketing jargon. The sad truth is, the AFA is rolling the dice with its legacy. They're betting that fans will embrace this new form of engagement, but I suspect many will see it for what it is: a cynical attempt to cash in on their unwavering support.
Unfortunately, this issue impacts much more than football. It’s an indictment on how technology and commercialism are killing the magic in our world. We need to ask ourselves what it means for everything we love—our hobbies, our cultures, our neighborhoods—to be converted into data and turned into assets. Will they, in the end, be truly commoditized?
I strongly encourage the AFA to not go down this road. Re-evaluate what truly matters: the fans, the history, the spirit of the game. Do not allow the siren call of NFTs to destroy the soul of Argentina football. After all, once that creativity is out the door, it’s not coming back. And all the NFTs, crypto sneakers and metaverse mall shops in the world can’t restore it.
