FIFA has officially chosen Avalanche to power its next-generation blockchain for NFTs and fan engagement, marking a major shift from its previous setup. The new Avalanche-powered “FIFA Blockchain” will support FIFA Collect, the organization’s NFT platform, and future digital experiences for its global audience.

Announced on May 22, this move will transition FIFA Collect from Algorand to Avalanche, leveraging the latter's high-speed, low-cost, and Ethereum-compatible infrastructure. Avalanche’s AvaCloud, known for its scalability and EVM compatibility, was a decisive factor in FIFA’s selection. The decision follows a detailed evaluation of performance, security, customizability, and cost-efficiency.

According to Francesco Abbate, CEO of Modex and FIFA Collect, the partnership aims to deliver faster transactions and more immersive fan experiences. This will allow fans to easily engage using familiar decentralized wallets like MetaMask, thanks to Avalanche’s WalletConnect support. However, users relying on Algorand-based wallets such as Pera and Defly will need to switch.

The FIFA Blockchain is expected to serve as the backbone for future projects, although those plans remain under wraps. This transition underscores FIFA’s growing commitment to Web3, following its previous collaborations with Modex and the launch of “FIFA Rivals,” a mobile soccer game developed with Mythical Games.

FIFA initially launched its NFT collection in 2023 during the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Now, with Avalanche as its foundation, FIFA is betting big on digital ownership, user-friendly blockchain tech, and deeper fan engagement through NFTs and decentralized applications.

This strategic shift positions Avalanche at the heart of FIFA’s digital future—and signals that blockchain’s role in global sports is just getting started.