FIFA, the international body that governs the world’s most popular sport, said in a statement that it will launch a limited number of digital collectibles later this week, giving holders the opportunity to watch the 2026 World Cup final.
“The first drop will feature 100 digital collectibles and will include some of the rarest collectibles that could secure a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final,” the statement said. “A total of 900 different digital collectibles will be published on the Polygon network and made available on the OpenSea platform.”
FIFA’s NFT was originally issued on Algorand, but is now planned to move to Polygon, a popular blockchain for web3 gaming projects, in the second phase of this collection. Polygon will also be utilized for future FIFA digital collectibles launches, the statement said.
When FIFA first announced “FIFA+ Collect” last year, it was advertised as giving “football fans around the world the opportunity to own unique digital collectibles at an affordable price.” The NFT drop comes as the FIFA Club World Cup 2023 is scheduled to begin tomorrow in Saudi Arabia.
Although NFT trading volumes have rebounded recently, they remain well below levels during the last bull market, when PFP non-fungible tokens from top collections like Bored Ape Yacht Club sometimes sold for millions of dollars. But big brands have continued to pursue opportunities to serve and monetize their loyal fans through digital collectibles initiatives.
Modex takes over
FIFA also announced that Modex would take on “strategic management” of the digital collectibles platform, which has already launched several collections of football brands. “Digital collectibles increase the ways fans can interact with their favorite players, teams and their favorite games,” Francesco Abbate, CEO of Modex, said in a statement. “We look forward to supporting FIFA in realizing this goal. “It’s an honor to be there,” he said.
A variety of companies active in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space have used professional sports as a means to connect with consumers. Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has signed a sponsorship agreement with Manchester City. French fantasy sports gaming company Sorare has partnered with the English Premier League.
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