FIFA Is Moving Its Digital Collectibles Platform to Avalanche

FIFA is moving its digital collectibles platform to Avalanche, choosing the layer-1 blockchain to run a new network aimed at engaging its global fan base of nearly five billion.

FIFA is switching its digital collectibles platform to Avalanche, selecting the layer-1 blockchain to host a new network engaging nearly five billion fans.

The football governing body confirmed on Thursday that its NFT platform, FIFA Collect, will begin migrating to Avalanche-powered infrastructure, replacing the existing setup built on Algorand. Once complete, wallets like MetaMask and others using WalletConnect will be supported, while Algorand-based options such as Pera and Defly will no longer work.

The decision follows last month’s announcement that FIFA would launch a dedicated blockchain for NFTs and digital fan engagement. The new platform will use AvaCloud, a service offering Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility to ease integration with decentralized apps and wallets.

“The selection process weighed factors like performance, cost, and customizability,” said Francesco Abbate, CEO of Modex and FIFA Collect.

FIFA’s pivot also reflects a deeper push into Web3, with the organization hinting at future use cases that remain under wraps for now.

FIFA first launched its NFT collection ahead of the 2023 Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, in partnership with Modex. In a separate deal last year, FIFA also teamed up with Mythical Games to develop FIFA Rivals, a free-to-play mobile football game.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino also floated the idea of launching a digital “FIFA coin” during the White House Crypto Summit hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, the global football body’s clearest hint yet at a possible foray into crypto.