FIFA, the international governing body for association football, is set to launch a non-fungible token (NFT) collection in celebration of the upcoming World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023, taking place from December 12 to 22, 2023.
As per the December 11 press release, the collection comprises 1,000 digital collectibles. Among these, 100 are designated as the rarest, offering the opportunity to secure tickets to the FIFA World Cup 26 final. These exclusive NFTs are scheduled for release on December 15.
The remaining 900 collectibles will be minted on the Polygon blockchain and released on December 19, just before the conclusion of the World Cup. These NFTs will encapsulate memorable moments from the tournament.
The collection was realized in collaboration with Modex, a Web3 product development company, and will be introduced through FIFA+ Collect.
Unveiled in September 2022, FIFA+ Collect is a dedicated platform powered by the Algorand blockchain. It allows football enthusiasts to purchase and own soccer moments as digital collectibles. The platform has gained significant popularity since its launch, boasting over 1 million transactions and a total sales volume exceeding $2.3 million.
This NFT release is not FIFA’s first venture into Web3; the association’s move towards the metaverse began with a trademark application for “WORLD CUP 2026” in July 2022.
In November 2022, FIFA unveiled a series of Web3 games for fans to engage with during the World Cup Qatar 2022. In August 2023, FIFA further expanded its Web3 presence by partnering with the Upland metaverse to bring the Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 into the virtual realm.
