The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has selected the Avalanche network to power its dedicated blockchain network for digital fan engagement, aiming to connect with its five billion global fans.
The decision comes just weeks after FIFA revealed plans to launch a new digital collectibles network.
Thanks to Avalanche’s AvaCloud and its compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), FIFA’s blockchain system will work smoothly with popular decentralized wallets and apps.
Why Avalanche?
According to Francesco Abbate, CEO of Modex and FIFA Collect, Avalanche was chosen after a rigourous evaluation of factors like speed, security, low fees, and the ability to scale.
“This will allow FIFA to offer unique digital collectibles and immersive fan experiences.”
rancesco Abbate, CEO of Modex and FIFA Collect
As part of the rollout, FIFA will move its non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace and digital collectibles platform, FIFA Collect, to this upcoming FIFA Blockchain. The international federation also noted that while additional plans and use cases are in development, they have not yet been made public.
What’s Changing?
With the switch, FIFA will no longer support wallets built on Algorand, such as Pera and Defly. Instead, fans will be able to connect to FIFA Collect using wallets like MetaMask or any other EVM-compatible options via WalletConnect.
FIFA first entered the NFT space ahead of the 2023 Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, partnering with blockchain firm Modex. It later joined forces with Mythical Games in November 2024 to launch FIFA Rivals, a free-to-play soccer game for iOS and Android.