Stephanie Douse 
A new blockchain-based football management game, Footium has announced that it has raised $3.35 million in funding to help it realize its vision of creating a global football metaverse.
Footium is a multiplayer Web3 football management game that allows users to control their own club and manage everything from the team to the tactics and scouting, while also cultivating talent through their youth academy. It is backed by angel investor and Roma center-back Chris Smalling.
Footium throws users against one another in a bid to climb the divisions and be the greatest, thanks to its innovative usage of blockchain technology. A transfer market and in-game economy are available to assist players in improving their clubs, and top performers can win real money as a result of their achievements.
The original supply of over 3,000 Footium clubs sold out in under 23 minutes in November 2021, with some of the top clubs selling for over $30,000 on secondary markets after then.
Smalling, Dutchman Nigel de Jong, and cricketers Ravi Bopara and Carlos Brathwaite are among the famous owners, while BACKED, a London-based venture capital firm, spearheaded the investment, which was joined by Animoca Brands, Stride VC, Entrée Capital, and RLC Ventures.