FIFA set for blockchain launch of World Cup digital collectibles this month

September 4 – FIFA will launch its range of official digital collectibles later this month, starting with a series of World Cup ‘moments’ from the men’s and women’s finals.

The digital collectibles will “affordable, inclusive and accessible” to all fans said FIFA.

The initial  range of collections and details of upcoming exclusive and limited-edition collections will be released soon, but will be based on “the greatest game moments to the most iconic FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup art and imagery,” said FIFA.

Essentially NFTs and produced via FIFA’s blockchain partner Algorand, the digital collectibles will be launched under the FIFA+ Collect title, further expanding the FIFA+ brand theme of FIFA’s streaming service.

“FIFA collectibles are available to any football fan, democratising the ability to own a part of the FIFA World Cup. Just like sports memorabilia and stickers, this is an accessible opportunity for fans around the world to engage with their favourite players, moments and more on new platforms,” said FIFA Chief Business Officer Romy Gai.

FIFA+ Collect will be available on FIFA+, and from launch will be available across all web and mobile devices and in three language editions (English, French, and Spanish), with FIFA saying “several” additional languages will follow.

No price point was given for the collectibles and it is unclear whether the digital collectibles will be tradeable.

In May, FIFA brought in Algorand as its blockchain platform. The US firm works with more than 2,000 global organisations, governments and digital-native decentralised finance applications. Its blockchain is accessible via multiple currencies and payment methods.

“FIFA’s platform – via a truly decentralised and scalable public blockchain – is the first tangible representation of the technical partnership recently announced between FIFA and Algorand,” said W. Sean Ford, interim CEO of Algorand.

“The commitment FIFA has made to bridge to Web3 enabled by Algorand, is a testament to their innovative spirit and desire to directly and seamlessly engage with football fans around the world.”

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