NCA freezes Premier League funds in Sorare sponsorship probe
NCA freezes Premier League funds in Sorare sponsorship probe as the UK’s National Crime Agency froze more than $13.6 million (£10,024,041.33) held in a Barclays bank account in the name of The Football Association Premier League Limited. The action stemmed from an investigation into links with Sorare sponsorship payments. The order to freeze the funds was obtained from Westminster magistrates’ court in January 2025 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The funds were held to prevent dissipation while the NCA investigates potential links to alleged third-party criminality. The freeze was carried out under an order obtained in January 2025 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The Premier League and Sorare announced a four-year sponsorship in January 2023; the sponsorship value was not disclosed, but it was reported at around $41 million (£30 million) per year, totaling about $163 million (£120 million) over the term. The initial money frozen by the NCA was specifically the first payment from Sorare under that four-year sponsorship. Under the agreement Sorare was granted the right to issue digital cards of players from all 20 Premier League clubs, and clubs were to be paid according to card usage. Sorare started as a crypto-only fantasy soccer game marketplace using Ethereum or Solana and expanded to include cash payments in August 2023. Sorare’s investors and ambassadors include Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Kylian Mbappé, Rio Ferdinand and Serena Williams, and a SoftBank-led funding round in 2021 valued the company at $4.3 billion (£3.21 billion).
NCA Freezes Premier League Funds in Sorare Sponsorship Probe
Sorare faces significant legal challenges, including a charge by the Gambling Commission in September 2024 for lacking an operating license, with trial set for June 2027. The NCA froze funds to prevent dissipation while probing links to third-party criminality. Notably, the Premier League’s reserves were above $2 billion (£1.5 billion) as of July 31, 2025. Sorare’s sponsorship with the Premier League ended after the 2025-26 season.
