Maneki, a Solana cat-themed meme coin, has announced a sponsorship deal with English Football club Sheffield United.

Solana-based Maneki (MANEKI) and Sky Bet Championship team Sheffield United unveiled the first-ever football shirt sponsorship featuring a meme coin. According to the public statement, MANEKI’s cat emblem will be displayed prominently on the Blades’ jerseys starting Oct. 18.

This move will expose the Solana meme coin to over 32,000 fans at Bramall Lane, one of football’s oldest functioning stadiums, and hundreds of thousands of sports enthusiasts across England.

Launched in mid-May, Maneki has over 73,000 holders, and its 8.88 billion token supply is valued at $65 million on the Solana (SOL). Despite the news of the Sheffield United partnership, the meme coin traded slightly downward, according to DEX Screener. Price data from Coin Insider Daily showed MANEKI had surged over 67% in the past seven days. 24-hour MANEKI price chart – Oct.

Sheffield United’s agreement with the SOL meme coin comes as the English Football Association banned betting companies from team sponsorships.

Crypto projects have moved to fill this gap, claiming marketing spots in one of the world’s largest sporting industries. Indeed, web3 firms and startups have splurged a record $170 million on deals with Premier League and British clubs.

In a world where meme coins like Maneki quickly reach tens of millions in market cap and thousands of users in months, the crypto-PL sponsorship trend may experience sustained growth. As adoption increases, more Solana-based meme coins may also target promotional agreements with sports entities. Wintermute reported that meme coins comprised over 40% of Solana’s entire trading volume.