FIFA To Launch Digital Collectibles Platform This Month On Algorand Blockchain

FIFA is set to launch FIFA+ Collect, a digital platform that enables all football fans to collect and own football-themed digital non-fungible tokens, later this month on the Algorand blockchain. FIFA+ Collect will be accessible through the FIFA+ web and mobile application, which already streams live football games, news, and event.

According to this week’s presser from FIFA, FIFA+ Collect will launch already loaded with some game collections. The platform will allow footballers and their fans to engage deeply with football and directly with each other and monetize content. The football association did not disclose the access costs but said the platform would be affordable, inclusive, and accessible to all fans.

“FIFA+ Collect is powered by Algorand, the official blockchain platform of FIFA, and the technology choice for over 2,000 global organizations, governments, and digital-native decentralized finance applications. It is a low-cost, carbon-neutral blockchain accessible via multiple currencies and payment methods.”

FIFA said fandom was changing worldwide, and fans are engaging with football in new and exciting ways.

With the FIFA+ Collect platform, fans can collect unique digital collectibles made from the greatest or favourite game moments from both the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup art and imagery. These will be featured on the platform as NFTs. It is unclear whether the platform will allow footballers to monetize their NFTs directly to fans, but that is a very likely option going by the examples of many similar platforms.

Demand is rising for NFTs. NFTs are also all over in soccer, with numerous footballers and clubs continually signing deals involving launching football NFTs, promoting NFTs and fan tokens, and trading digital collectibles crafted from in-game actions.

Such digital collectibles may also be the future of contactless ticketing in sports. Because football has millions of fans worldwide, such NFTs may also be crucial to the upcoming metaverse platforms. On their part, the organization said the forum would allow democratising the ability to own part of the FIFA World Cup.

The platform couldn’t come at a better time than now because FIFA World Cup 2022 is set to kick off in Qatar on November 20. FIFA+ is already showing 100 of the greatest moments in FIFA World Cup history. These will likely feature in the initial moments to be launched with the platform.

Furthermore, the World Cup is the most watched football event worldwide, with more than 3.57 billion people – or more than half of the world’s population having watched the 2018 FIFA World Cup tournaments. Thus stakes are very high for players, fans, and advertisers alike.