Everything you need to know to start playing
Since its inception, Sorare has grown into a fantastic game with deep management setups, thrilling tournaments and exciting rewards. The game offers a layered experience, with deep customization, strategy and tactics that result in a rewarding experience. There are colorful cards to collect and weekly calendars to look into, squads to assemble and rewards to be won. So, we get it, all of the game’s features and offerings might feel like too much to wrap your head around. But don’t worry, we’ll make a Sorare manager of you yet. You might be a football enthusiast looking to join in on the action, or even a Sorare veteran who needs to freshen up on all that the game has to offer. Either way, our in-depth beginner guide will give you a complete look at all that Sorare has to offer. From creating your account to building a team, redeeming players, and picking your squad, our knowledge will help you get on the right track.
What is Sorare?
In simple terms, Sorare is an NFT fantasy football game. Players assume the roles of football managers, picking players to assemble squads that compete against other players’ selections in a variety of weekly competitions. The key to all of this is the player cards. Rather than selecting any player you like to form part of your winning squad, you must collect player cards before they can be let loose on the field. This is where the NFT element comes in. Cards with limited, rare, super rare and unique rarity levels are minted NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. This means that every card is accounted for, and its ownership can be traced accordingly. It allows players to own these digital tokens, giving them the agency to sell or trade them at will.
Cards can be won through tournaments or purchased through the game’s marketplace. You can use them to put together a team and compete in one of the many competitions that are available every week. Of course, the game starts you off with a set of free common cards, but you’ll need to get your hands on rarer players if you want to compete in more advanced tournaments. As with all fantasy football games, your players’ scores are determined by their actual performance in real matches, so you’ll need to have a fairly good understanding of who these players are and what their track record looks like. Ultimately, you can win a handsome cash reward from finishing in a competition’s top spots.
That’s a bit of a general understanding of what Sorare has to offer. Several systems need further unpacking, so read on below to learn about all of the fantastic features that the game has to offer.
How to play Sorare?
We’ll start at the beginning, giving you a better look at your journey with Sorare thanks to this beginner guide.
As with most games, it all begins with a simple registration process. Once you’ve input your details and confirmed your account, Sorare gets you started with some free goodies. Your first task is to go through the onboarding process, which asks you to pick your three favorite teams. Your choice of teams will determine the free cards you get in the next step. These initial cards have a common scarcity level but they’re enough to get you started, allowing you to compete in all common tournaments. Bear in mind that these common cards sit at the very bottom of the scarcity ladder and as such cannot be traded or sold. They are directly linked to your account and cannot be removed.
After receiving your free goods, you’re presented with the onboarding list. This gives you a rundown of tasks that you must complete to progress further in your Sorare career. You’ll be asked to follow tasks like joining a league, building a team, following your favorite player, and even making your first card bid. By clicking on the below link you can take advantage of the WeSorare card promotion. This entitles you to a free Rare card after purchasing 5 new cards (these cannot be exchanged or bought off other players). Now that you have a solid set of player options, you can jump straight into the action, joining one of Sorare’s many tournaments.
Joining a Sorare tournament
Sorare offers a wide variety of tournaments to participate in, with new additions being offered with each new game week. Game weeks are the way Sorare structures its competitions, with each game week offering a different set of challenges and competitions. The game releases the upcoming 4 game weeks in monthly calendars that give a rundown of all the competitions that will be held each week. Each week is unique in its own right, offering players a chance to select various squad line-ups accordingly. The tournaments include the following:
- All-Star
- Under 23
- Underdog League
- Specialist League
- Legend Challenge
- Champion Europe
- Challenger Europe
- America
- Asia
Tournaments come in different scarcity iterations, with various pool prizes to accompany them. The Rookie League is also available to new players using common cards, although this only runs for a limited time. After 8 game weeks, players will need to upgrade to one of the higher tiers. Additionally, tournaments come with a variety of rules and restrictions. These specify the card scarcities that can be entered, as well as the player’s average rating requirement. If you satisfy a tournament’s requirements, you sign up for your respective game week and proceed to select your (hopefully) winning squad.
Building your winning team
Sorare tournaments support squads with up to 5 players. Each team must have a maximum of 1 goalkeeper and a minimum of 1 defender, 1 midfielder and 1 forward. In selecting your squad, Sorare will display all available players on the left-hand side of the screen. Players have their average score for their past 5 games listed, as well as their bonus multiplier and their next opponent. A DNP notice might replace the average score value if the player has not played in the last 5 games. Similarly, if the player has no game going on in that respective game week, then an NG notice will appear instead. Selecting the player in your squad will grant you zero points.
After having selected four players that fill up the required positions, you then select one final player to fill the extra slot. The extra player is not a substitute, but rather an additional spot that can be filled by a defender, midfielder or forward. Pick a player that you think will help increase your overall score. In some tournaments, you can also select a team captain. The selected captain will have an additional 20% bonus on all his points for that given game week. Once you’re done, simply hit confirm to select your line-up.
Sorare’s scoring Matrix
Sorare determines your player’s score based on their performance in real-life matches. There’s a scoring matrix that takes care of this, making sure you get an accurate and fair score at the end of the game. Each player can have a maximum of 100 points that are based on what is referred to as a decisive score and an all-around score.
The decisive score is specific to the player’s actions and interactions in the game. This takes into consideration goals, assists, penalties won, clearance off the line, clean sheet (only for goalkeepers), penalty save and last man tackle. Players start at a decisive score of level 0, which amounts to 35 points. Based on their actions, players will either go up a level (increasing their points) or similarly go down a level (decreasing their points). Players that come on as substitutes will start with a reduced 25 points, although they still start at level 0. At the end of the game, the player’s current level will determine their decisive score.
- Level -1 = 15 points
- Level 0 = 35 points (25 points for substitutes)
- Level 1 = 60 points
- Level 2 =70 points
- Level 3 =80 points
- Level 4 =90 points
- Level 5 = 100 points
The all-around score takes all of the game’s performance statistics to determine the overall score. 39 statistics are taken into consideration here, although the rule remains the same. Positive overall actions will result in points being added, while overall negative actions will reduce the total score. Players can also earn Double Double, Triple Double and Triple Triple points for their actions. These points are assigned to players who complete multiple actions across a variety of categories. The points themselves do not stack up, so players can only earn one of these bonuses.
You can follow the players’ progress through the Player Performance screen in the Game Week section of Sorare. Here you’ll find a complete rundown of your player’s decisive and all-around scores, telling you exactly why your player scored their respective points in that given game week.
The full Sorare Matrix can be found here.
Card ratings
Sorare’s scoring matrix determines the majority of your points during a game week’s outcome, but card ratings can also add to a player’s overall score.
All cards have their very own XP rating. Card gain XP by actively taking part in game weeks (both weekly matches and training). Cards can reach a maximum of 20 levels within a period of three seasons. Of course, the pace at which a card level slows down with each level you obtain. The first 10 levels can easily be obtained within one season, whereas the final 10 levels will take approximately two seasons to complete. With each level, cards gain a 0.5% multiplier bonus to their overall score. This multiplier varies according to the card’s scarcity level.
Both limited and Rare cards start at level 0, maxing out with a total bonus of 10% at level 20. On the other hand, Super Rare cards start at level 40 and can cap at level 60. These cards start with an immediate 20% bonus and can reach a maximum multiplier of 30%. Unique cards remain the most lucrative. These cards kick things off at level 80 and max out at level 100. They immediately bring a 40% bonus to the table, reaching an incredible 50% multiplier when their level is maxed out.
You might think that this comes in handy when selling off your wares, leveling up cards and selling them off for an even higher price. But Sorare has tried to mitigate this, applying a rule that half a card’s level and accumulated XP whenever it is sold to another Sorare manager. So, if you sell off a level 20 card with an additional 1,000 XP, the buyer gets a level 10 card with an accumulated 500 XP.
Additional bonus multipliers come with season cards and captaincy selections. Sorare releases a new set of cards for each player every season. Any current season cards you use in your squad carry an additional 5% multiplier. In cases where tournaments allow you to pick a team captain, that card will give away an additional 20% multiplier bonus.
While some cards add more points to your selection, others have the power to diminish your overall score. Using lower-level cards will result in a -50% penalty that seriously hinders your chances of success. So, think twice before fielding common scarcity cards in a limited-level tournament.
Purchasing Sorare cards
Pushing for higher-tier competitions will require higher scarcity level cards in your deck. You can buy cards across a variety of scarcity levels, each with its own set of unique offerings. So, what are the scarcity levels in Sorare, and how do they work?
Every Sorare player gets a fresh batch of 111 NFT cards minted each season. These cards are spread out accordingly in the following way:
- Limited (Yellow) – The lowest rarity, with a maximum of 1000 cards produced each season. You can get a free limited card by clicking here
- Rare (Red) – The second lowest rarity, with a maximum of 100 cards produced each season.
- Super Rare (Blue) – The second highest rarity, with a maximum of 10 cards produced each season.
- Unique (Black / Brown) – The highest rarity, with only one card produced each season.
Cards can be purchased through 2 distinct channels. The New Card Auction market is a great place to get newly minted NFT cards. With no previous owner, you will be the first to own these cards, should you become the highest bidder. All new NFT cards are offered through an auction and as such cannot be directly bought. Instead, you will have to bid carefully throughout the process, hoping to win the card while still grabbing a bargain in the process. Bids can be placed using your very own debit or credit card. You can simply use the search button to find a specific player or use the sorting and filtering selections to find a player that fits your specifications.
Of course, the other way to purchase new cards comes through the Manager Market. Here, Sorare managers can buy, sell, and even trade their wares. This time around, you can offer a flat fee for the card you’d like to purchase, without having to go through the auction process. Furthermore, a card’s value will fluctuate accordingly. This will be based on the card’s level, as well as the player’s performance over the past games. Higher scarcity level cards will also cost more to buy. Although you can purchase cards here using your debit/credit card, this will come with a 10% processing fee. Should you wish to bypass this, you’ll need to deposit money into your Sorare wallet and make use of that instead.
Depositing Money Into Your Sorare Wallet
Depositing at Sorare is a simple and straightforward process, thanks to the game’s partnership with Ramp. Before this update, depositing money was a long and dreary affair, with the involvement of cryptocurrency sites such as Binance or Coinbase. Although these complex options are still available, we recommend using Ramp for an easier time. You can follow these simple steps to have your deposits done in no time.
- Log into your account.
- Click on your wallet icon at the top right corner of the screen.
- The screen presents you with your wallet balance, as well as a deposit button. You’ll want to ignore this, clicking on the Ramp button beneath it instead.
- Enter the amount you wish to deposit.
- All done!
Your first deposit will ask you for identity verification documents such as a driver’s license. This process takes approximately 3 minutes and will not be required again. Be aware that you will need to pay a network fee for each deposit you make.
Selling Sorare Cards
At some point in the game, you’ll want to offload some of your collection. Selling cards is a simple and straightforward affair, which can be achieved through some simple steps.
- Select the card you would like to sell from your collection.
- Click on the ‘Sell My Card’ button.
- Enter the amount you would like to sell the card for. There is no limit to the price you can input here.
- You’re all set!
It’s important to bear in mind that setting realistic prices is crucial to getting a sale. Cards you decide to sell will be open to buyers for 48 hours before their sale period expires. Once that is over, you can then set the cards for sale again, revising the price and details.
Buying players in Sorare
There are several ways to buy players in Sorare.
The new purchases section allows you to buy player cards directly from the platform, these cards have been minted and then listed directly by Sorare and therefore have never been owned by any other user. These players are auctioned to the highest bidder, with starting prices set out in Ethereum cryptocurrency.
The transfer market section is where you can buy players directly from other users of the game in a sort of secondary market. You may come across great deals with this mode of purchase, however, always keep in mind that any purchase from the secondary market will not count towards the sign-up bonus. These players are listed for a fixed purchase price, and Sorare does not allow you to auction off your playing cards, only to set a price you predetermine for an instant transaction.
The last way you can buy players in the game is to bid directly for other players. This is possible by simply clicking on a player and consequently on the “Make an offer” button.
Whenever you buy new players, make sure that they have a lot of games to play in the weekly schedule, some of them might be cheap because their respective leagues are about to end.
After you have purchased a few rare players, you can start competing in the big weekly competitions for the Ethereum offered as well as for attractive prizes in the form of rare collectible cards.
Is it possible to earn money with Sorare?
Now that you know the basics of the game such as the scoring system and the player purchase system, let’s see together how you can manage to earn cryptocurrency by playing with Sorare. The easiest method is to win the weekly game rewards put up for users.
This is in fact one of the best ways to earn passive income thanks to your passion for Sorare: both through the weekly game rewards, and through the rewards you get by competing in leagues against other players.
Let’s take a look at some useful tips for earning substantial weekly rewards.
An obvious assumption that many players make when they start playing on Sorare is that they should always field the players who have the highest average score.
A crucial factor that many players often fail to consider is the real opponents that their players will face in a given week of the league. For example, if you have two defenders and one of them has a weekly points average of 70, while another defender has a 50 points average, it would seem at first glance an obvious choice who should be in your line-up. However, this is not always true.
Who to pick?
In fact, you must also keep an eye on who the defenders are playing against, because if the first one with an average of 70 is in a big match against a top team, perhaps, it is more effective to choose the defender with an average of 50 who is playing against a weaker team.
Another common mistake made by many new players is to buy only random players in the game, without thinking about the league or the competitions they come from. This can really limit the amount of rewards you’ll be able to grab.
The game hosts many specialized leagues, such as the Under 23 leagues (in which only players under the age of 23 can intuitively participate); Asian leagues (it goes without saying that for them you can only play K-League and J-League players); European leagues (only players from Serie A, La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1).
So when you’re first starting out, it’s best to focus on just one or two of these to maximize your chances of earning those weekly rewards. And start by learning a solid foundation to then range out with the endless further possibilities offered by Sorare.
Trading Cards
A great way to make money on Sorare is through trading cards. With the value of players increasing each week based on game performance as well, it is crucial that you search properly for those who can give you the best long-term return as well as fun in terms of play. This is where the concept of scouting comes in.
In this regard, some of the best deals will be made for players who are undervalued because they are not playing much at the moment, but who will carve out more and more decisive spaces in their team in the future. If it’s true that you won’t be able to use these kinds of players in the short term, you could, on the contrary, get a great economic return if they turn out to be a good investment in the long term.
The main evaluation to do in these cases is therefore related to the reasons why a certain player is not in the team at the moment.
One explanation could be that the team is currently in the preseason. Players who are not playing because their season is over could be a great long-term investment, this is because some Sorare coaches will be inclined to sell off such pieces of their virtual team cheaply as they cannot be used in the coming months. When the season begins again, however, their potential may be radically different. There are excellent information resources available online to inform yourself and study the competitive environment of every player in the world. So a study phase can be the determining element in making profitable investments.
Injuries
Another important factor could be that a particular player is in a period of temporary injury. The key thing to understand in these cases is whether the player is suffering from a long-term or short-term injury. Players who have suffered a serious injury could remain absent and unable to be picked for the entire season ahead, meaning they may not be worth your investment. However, some of them might only be out for a few games, and in this case you can get a quick return if you buy them and then sell them when they return to the league.
Other times it might be a simple drop in form that has nothing to do with the long-term talent of a player. This is one of the most common reasons why some players are not playing, they are simply in bad form. When this happens, it is recommended to check the score that the footballer has exhibited in the past, as he might return to the same performance without warning. Using Sorare Data you will be able to spot players who are just going through a bad period of form and try your luck by buying them cheap.
Remember that when players don’t play, they stop earning XP points, and sometimes this can’t be avoided because, as mentioned, they might be in the pre season phase. This is where training comes in.
Training allows players to continue to increase their XP points even when they are not playing. It is best to always keep your players who are not in activity under constant training so that they can continue to develop XP. This will result in them having a higher value when they later start playing again and you return to being able to deploy them.
Why should you play Sorare?
So, now that you know how it works, why should you play? Or why should you switch from other Fantasy Football games to Sorare? Sorare now has over 100 affiliated clubs from around the world, with new additions every week.
The level of adoption from global leagues and teams has been astounding, with major European teams such as Liverpool, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain FC, Bayern München, Juventus and Atletico Madrid all present on the platform.
There are currently 126 clubs registered on the platform, with Sorare aiming to double the number of registered teams in the near future.
You can pick the best players for your team and be rewarded with game points depending on how those players perform. It’s free, and you have the chance to win any kind of prize against millions of players from all over the world.