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World Cup is underway, with cryptocurrency companies getting in on the action OKX has launched an NFT tournament, with customers able to mint three free NFTs Brazil is the favorite, but European nations have won every tournament since 2002 It’s time for the World Cup . Unquestionably the biggest sporting competition on the planet, the World Cup is a truly global event. While this edition may be marred by human rights abuses and the corrupt nature with which it was granted, 32 nations have come together to decide who will reign supreme for the next four years.
Cryptocurrency world leverages World Cup for exposure
Even within the world of cryptocurrencies, the World Cup has an impact. There was Cristiano Ronaldo launching an NFT collection on Binance. While this was notable, it was buried in the news because it came amid Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao’s discussion with Sam Bankman-Fried on Twitter, which ultimately led to the scandalous collapse of FTX. First Lionel Messi stealing the spotlight from Ronaldo (what a goal against Mexico), and then Sam Bankman-Fried. The guy can’t take a break. But in another part of the NFT world, OKX has launched the OKX Football Cup, a competition that allows players to coin NFTs and compete for prizes. While I’ve been critical of the NFT market, writing about its lack of value as part of the unstable metaverse, I love my football. And so, with the option to mint free NFTs for three different teams, I decided to take a look and see which teams placed higher. Although, I should warn you, these OKX NFTs are not strictly free. Customers are still required to pay gas fees, which on Ethereum can be quite high. But as long as you mint before the group stage, which ends December 3, you can enter the competition, and the gas fee will be a one-time charge.
Who will win the World Cup?
When deciding which are the best teams to form, I first calculated the chances of each team winning the tournament. To do this, I’ve pulled the odds from the bookmaker, as of Tuesday 29th November (prior to the England/USA group resolution tonight). With 27.4%, Brazil is considered the team most likely to win the tournament. Personally, I would love to see them do that. The Brazilian team is nothing short of iconic and, having not held the trophy since 2002, it would be nice to see them do so. In fact, European teams have won the last four World Cups since Brazil beat Germany 2-0 in Yokohama, Japan, in 2002. Italy won four years later, in 2006 (courtesy of a mental breakdown by Zinedine Zidane), Spain triumphed in 2010 as part of their absolute dominance of international football, Germany beat Argentina in 2014 and France overcame a plucky Croatian team in 2018.
Is it a good idea to mint Brazil?
Actually, the answer to whoever coin here is easy. The three favorites are Brazil, France and Spain. With chances of winning of 27.4%, 14.7% and 12.2%, respectively, there is a 53% chance that one of the trios will lift the trophy. But where’s the fun in picking favorites? My heart says Argentina, as it would be a joy to see the little maestro, Lionel Messi, walk off into the sunset with the biggest prize of all under his arm. But having seen the Argentinians struggle so far, their 10% chances of winning seem generous. For me, in my country’s absence from the tournament (Ireland), I’m rooting for both South American nations. As a European, it’s good to see Spain, France and other teams playing well, but I’m ready to see the South Americans regain the title. Deep down, I think Spain or France can do it. I don’t know why I don’t trust Brazil, no matter how talented the cast is. A knock on Neymar won’t help either. But hey, who knows. That’s why we watch the games, I guess.
