Manchester United’s post-Tezos era raises questions about crypto sponsorships in football

Manchester United is on the hunt for a new training kit sponsor after its deal with Tezos, the blockchain platform that adorned the club’s practice jerseys since 2022, expired in June 2025. The partnership was worth over £20 million annually, making it one of the most lucrative crypto-sports deals in Premier League history. Reports indicate the club is in advanced talks for replacement deals expected to exceed £18 million annually. The Tezos experiment and what it actually delivered When Manchester United announced Tezos as its official training kit and blockchain partner in 2022, the deal was heralded as a landmark moment. A top-tier football club aligning with a Layer 1 blockchain protocol felt like validation for an industry still fighting for mainstream credibility. The club also launched an MUFC fan token on Socios.com via Chiliz, enabling holders to participate in fan voting and engagement features. Why crypto-sports deals keep fizzling FTX had its name on the Miami Heat’s arena before, well, you know how that ended. Crypto.com paid $700 million for naming rights to the former Staples Center. The silence from Manchester United on any new crypto or digital asset partnerships s...