Blockworks

Switzerland’s gambling authority Gespa has opened a preliminary investigation into FIFA’s sale of blockchain-based tokens that grant fans the right to purchase tickets for matches at the 2026 World Cup.



Bloomberg <a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/fifas-blockchain-based-ticketing-system-for-2026-world-cup-faces-preliminary-probe/90122003">reported</a> on Monday that the regulator is determining whether FIFA’s “Right to Buy” tokens constitute a form of gambling under Swiss law. Gespa director Manuel Richard said the offering “may be relevant under gambling legislation” and that further fact-finding will decide whether regulatory action is warranted.



The tokens, developed with blockchain firm Modex Tech Ltd., allow holders to buy tickets for specific matches once sales open. Some are tied to national teams, such as the $999 “Right to Final: England” token, which guarantees access to the final only if the chosen team qualifies.&nbsp;



The structure has raised questions about speculative behavior, since most buyers will not receive tickets if their teams fail to advance. FIFA reportedly earned around $15 million from these sales, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6609001/2025/09/08/fifa-collect-world-cup-tickets-2026/">according</a> to The Athletic.



The 2026 tournament — hosted across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada — is projected to generate $11 billion for FIFA.



This is a developing story.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



This article was generated with the assistance of AI and reviewed by editor&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jeffrey@blockworks.co" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jeffrey Albus</a>&nbsp;before publication.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/the-breakdown">The Breakdown</a>: Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/0xresearch">0xResearch</a>: Alpha in your inbox. Think like an analyst. </li>
</ul>

FIFA

FIFA faces Swiss probe over blockchain ticket tokens

Ornella Hernandez

Argentina’s FIFA World Cup win in Qatar celebration continues in the metaverse.&nbsp;



The country’s national football association, the Argentine Football Association (AFA), announced a partnership with the Upland metaverse platform on Thursday.



The official licensing agreement will see the AFA expand fan engagement for Argentina’s Professional Football League (LPF). The goal is to connect fans with “players they admire” and offer exclusive in-game video footage ownership, according to a statement.&nbsp;&nbsp;



This promise of fan engagement has become a widely used refrain when it comes to professional sports sponsorships in the metaverse, but its true potential has yet to be proven.&nbsp;



This deal represents the first presence of Argentine soccer in the metaverse, according to the AFA, and Upland said it&#8217;s the first time it has offered exclusive ownership of in-game video to fans.



Upland was chosen by FIFA itself to launch a multi-year partnership and enable soccer fans to collect, trade and own FIFA NFTs and World Cup highlights prior to the start of the tournament. 195,000 bundles of NFT trading cards were sold out, which added up to 800,000 NFTs, Upland told Blockworks.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Finding Upland on the virtual land map</h3>



Something that sets Upland apart from other blockchain-based metaverse platforms such as The Sandbox or The Decentraland is its real world geography. Users face an actual map of the world on their screens, and the platform is linked to real cities and countries in which users can buy and mint virtual property with fiat or crypto.



The platform, which is <a href="https://bloks.io/account/playuplandme">running</a> on the <a href="https://blockworks.co/price/eos">EOS</a> mainnet, will allow fan’s properties to be customized with club-specific outdoor decor, Upland founder Dirk Lueth told Blockworks.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“We&#8217;ll be opening the city of Buenos Aires, which is a great coincidence because we promised in the context of our FIFA partnership that we would launch the World Cup winner&#8217;s capital as the first capital in Upland,” he said.&nbsp;
</blockquote>



The true user base numbers for various metaverse platforms, such as The Sandbox and Decentraland, remains relatively small when compared to video games like <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/ftc-fined-fortnite-metaverse-up-next" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fortnite</a> or gaming platform Roblox.



In Upland’s case, a <a href="https://upxland.me/properties/overview" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">third-party data aggregator</a> reports about 4 million total properties, of which about 2.8 million are listed as “owned.” Lueth claimed that Upland has 300,000 landowners.



It’s the largest dapp on the struggling EOS blockchain, <a href="https://dappradar.com/rankings/protocol/eos" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to DappRadar</a>, which reports the number of <a href="https://dappradar.com/eos/games/upland" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unique active wallets</a> over the past 30 days at about 139,000.



Various football clubs from Birmingham City, Liverpool FC, AC Milan to FC Barcelona and Juventus have all launched their own NFT collections in the past couple of years.&nbsp;&nbsp;



While Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo inked an exclusive NFT deal with Binance crypto exchange, Argentina&#8217;s team captain, Lionel Messi, already has launched two NFT collections on the Ethernity NFT marketplace. His latest, commemorating his World Cup achievements throughout the years, <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/world-cup-fan-tokens-nfts-see-heavy-volume-after-argentine-victory" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">saw major resales</a> post-victory in Qatar.&nbsp;



The Argentine Professional Football League joins other professional sports organizations in attempts to generate a new source of income, leveraging Web3 technology.&nbsp;



Other crypto companies have tried to reach the throngs of soccer fans ahead of the World Cup including crypto exchanges Binance, Crypto.com, OKX and the Algorand blockchain who also partnered with FIFA.



Fan token exchange Socios was another platform that saw major activity for participating teams in the 2022 World Cup, demonstrating that the power of fandom can outweigh concerns over market conditions.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/the-breakdown">The Breakdown</a>: Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/0xresearch">0xResearch</a>: Alpha in your inbox. Think like an analyst. </li>
</ul>

Argentina

Upland Scores Argentina Football Deal for EOS-based Metaverse

Argentina became the soccer world champion after beating France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar on Sunday.



Immediately after the win, the Argentine Football Association (ARG) fan token spiked momentarily from $4.01 to a high of $5.02 within the hour before a steady almost hourly decline to its current price of under $3.00 in the past 24 hours.&nbsp;



ARG’s 24-hour trading volume peaked at $40 million, as per token tracking site <a href="https://www.fanmarketcap.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FanMarketCap</a>. 



Runner-up France does not have a country fan token, tIn addition to post-World Cup fan token activity, Argentina-related NFTs have also seen a pump since the win.and now seven-time Golden Ball award recipient Lionel Messi has played for PSG since 2021 on a two-year contract. 



And Messi’s PSG teammate, Kylian Mbappe, forward for the French national team, also won the Golden Boot award after scoring a hat trick for France in the final match.&nbsp;



PSG’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is the chairman of the investment group that owns the soccer club — Qatar Sports Investments, a subsidiary of Qatar&#8217;s sovereign wealth fund.



During the World Cup, the <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/saudi-world-cup-win-shows-argentina-fan-token-the-red-card" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ARG token also saw major fluctuations</a> when Argentina had its only loss against Saudi Arabia.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What are these Fan Tokens?</h3>



The ARG and PSG fan tokes are issued via Chiliz’s Socios platform, and reside on Chiliz’s permissioned sidechain, forked from Ethereum, per the Chiliz <a href="https://www.chiliz.com/en/chiliz-faq/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FAQ</a>.



While fan tokens may serve a more speculative purpose, those traded through the Socios platform offer holders access to merchandise and ticket promotions, as well as the chance to vote on club changes.



The tokens are not available and do not trade on public Ethereum.



Messi NFTs



In addition to post-World Cup fan token activity, Argentina-related NFTs have also seen a pump since the win. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="430" src="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lionel-Messi_-The-King-Piece-NFTs-seven-day-activity-on-OpenSea-1-1024x430.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42268" srcset="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lionel-Messi_-The-King-Piece-NFTs-seven-day-activity-on-OpenSea-1-1024x430.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lionel-Messi_-The-King-Piece-NFTs-seven-day-activity-on-OpenSea-1-1024x430.jpg?w=300 300w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lionel-Messi_-The-King-Piece-NFTs-seven-day-activity-on-OpenSea-1-1024x430.jpg?w=768 768w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lionel-Messi_-The-King-Piece-NFTs-seven-day-activity-on-OpenSea-1-1024x430.jpg?w=1536 1536w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lionel-Messi_-The-King-Piece-NFTs-seven-day-activity-on-OpenSea-1-1024x430.jpg?w=428 428w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lionel-Messi_-The-King-Piece-NFTs-seven-day-activity-on-OpenSea-1-1024x430.jpg?w=470 470w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lionel-Messi_-The-King-Piece-NFTs-seven-day-activity-on-OpenSea-1-1024x430.jpg?w=389 389w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lionel-Messi_-The-King-Piece-NFTs-seven-day-activity-on-OpenSea-1-1024x430.jpg?w=80 80w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lionel-Messi_-The-King-Piece-NFTs-seven-day-activity-on-OpenSea-1-1024x430.jpg?w=50 50w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lionel-Messi_-The-King-Piece-NFTs-seven-day-activity-on-OpenSea-1-1024x430.jpg?w=1980 1980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lionel Messi: The King Piece NFTs seven-day activity on OpenSea | Source: OpenSea</figcaption></figure>



In particular, <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/messi-ronaldo-world-cup-nfts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Messi’s second official NFT collection</a> with NFT marketplace Ethernity, the Messi Time Machine Collection, has seen major resale volume in the past 24 hours. According to Ethernity, traffic to its marketplace tripled yesterday.



The ‘Lionel Messi: The King Piece’ NFT reached nearly 40 ETH in trading volume over the past seven days, according to OpenSea. This marks a 4,292% increase since the week prior.



Marketplace users seemed to scoop up these NFTs the night before the game which caused a volume spike of over 28 ETH in less than 24 hours. A 13% increase in trading volume can be seen in the last 24 hours since the win.



Ethernity even hosted a fantasy sports-style bracket challenge for community members with for the most accurate sets of predictions. The top three participants will win from a prize pool of 1000 ERN, Ethernity&#8217;s native token, while others will be able to claim a physical sports jersey.



Also trending on OpenSea is a fan-developed CryptoPunks-inspired collection called The Argentinians Official. It logged 127 ETH in trading volume activity on the night before the World Cup final after days of zero activity. It has since declined by 46%.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/the-breakdown">The Breakdown</a>: Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/0xresearch">0xResearch</a>: Alpha in your inbox. Think like an analyst. </li>
</ul>

World Cup Fan Tokens, NFTs See Heavy Volume After Argentine Victory

Ben Strack

Bitget has been trying to reassure current and potential customers who are losing faith, fast, in digital assets. But the cryptocurrency exchange is taking a questionable route.



Bitget Managing Director Gracy Chen last week cited consumers’ trust reaching a nadir — spurred by “collapses of a few crypto giants this year” — as rationale for ramping up marketing and product efforts.



Consider what the company called its <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bitget-launches-major-campaign-with-messi-to-reignite-confidence-in-the-crypto-market-301687422.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nov. 26 press release</a> breaking things down: “Bitget launches major campaign with Messi to reignite confidence in the crypto market.” As if a marketing campaign with the soccer star (the rest of the world calls it football, I know) would somehow make the exchange more trustworthy…?



Lionel Messi is among the world’s greatest athletes. He has scored two goals in the first three games of this year’s FIFA World Cup, helping Argentina advance past the group stage.



But how much does Messi know about crypto? This is a business deal for him, and his decision to endorse a crypto brand does not necessarily bestow confidence in a particular company or crypto more broadly.&nbsp;



In fact, Messi several years ago <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej8-yQM7pYo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">endorsed Finney</a>, a blockchain-enabled smartphone by Sirin Labs — run by Moshe Hogeg, who was arrested in 2021 for <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/alleged-dirty-dealings-and-sex-offenses-moshe-hogegs-long-history-of-deceit/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">alleged sex crimes and cryptocurrency fraud</a>. Hogeg has denied these allegations.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">FTX built trust through celebrities&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>



Bitget’s plan to boost trust in crypto, in part, by getting a celebrity to endorse Bitget, signals the exchange has not been paying attention to recent events — or, worse still, has chosen to ignore them.&nbsp;



Why are Bitget’s marketing efforts especially relevant? Well, something big recently happened in crypto land to a company who had some of the world’s biggest celebrities behind it.



FTX was the best when it came to making deals with the world’s largest sports stars and other celebrities to endorse its brand. Tom Brady, <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/ftx-names-stephen-curry-a-global-ambassador" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Steph Curry</a> and <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/ftx-inks-deal-with-mlb-star-shohei-ohtani" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shohei Ohtani</a> were FTX brand ambassadors, as was fashion model Gisele Bündchen. The company landed Larry David for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkUXzqD8xUY" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">its Super Bowl commercial</a> that aired in February.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



FTX <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/whats-next-for-ftx-and-its-customers-after-bankruptcy-filing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">filed for bankruptcy</a> last month.



Perhaps celebrities do help persuade people to put their trust in crypto. Perhaps that was why FTX’s debacle stung so many.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Proper communications is important</h3>



I’m not naive enough to think companies, including crypto ones, will not utilize celebrities to endorse their brands going forward.&nbsp;



Binance, for example, unveiled an NFT collection with football star Christiano Ronaldo that became available Nov. 18. The company’s press release around the launch said the athlete’s collection was “aiming to give his fans an introduction to Web3 through the world of NFTs.”



But, for me, it truly was the title of Bitget’s press release — using a celebrity partnership to spur trust in the crypto space — that had me baffled.&nbsp;



Reading through the announcement, Messi does mention that “it’s reassuring to see Bitget taking this seriously with a series of protection initiatives.”



The last paragraph mentions Bitget’s launch of a $5 million “Builders&#8217; Fund” for users distressed by FTX’s crash. It also notes the company raising the size of <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/bitget-rolls-out-200m-protection-fund-to-safeguard-users-crypto" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">its Protection Fund</a> — designed to safeguard against hacks and theft — to $300 million last month.



But not mentioned are other measures Bitget is taking, such as its soon-to-be-shared <a href="https://www.bitget.com/academy/en/article-details/Transparency-as-a-priority-Bitget-shows-proof-of-reserves" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Merkle Tree proof of reserves</a> in an effort “to promote complete transparency and comprehensive asset auditing.” Now, those could actually move the needle. That could be something worth trusting.



Learn more: <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/what-are-proof-of-reserves-and-can-they-build-back-trust" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">What Is Proof of Reserves and Can It Build Back Trust?</a>



Chen told Blockworks in a statement that the company also had various protective measures in place before FTX&#8217;s crash, including hot and cold wallet separation, a multi-signature wallet and zero-trust security architecture.



“We do all this to show the market that in the world of crypto, companies with real strength are immune to the rocky market, and when facing adversity, it is the best time to focus inwards and keep building,” she added.



So Bitget, like other crypto exchanges, appears to be taking legitimate steps to regain customer trust after FTX’s collapse.



So, don’t take this as a condemnation of Bitget as a company, but rather a reminder that words and marketing matter. Exchanges would be better off hammering home the details of their specific security and transparency efforts than touting celebrity partnerships.&nbsp;



As we would say in journalism, “Bitget buried the lede.”



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/the-breakdown">The Breakdown</a>: Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/0xresearch">0xResearch</a>: Alpha in your inbox. Think like an analyst. </li>
</ul>

Bitget

Bitget’s Celebrity Partnership Comes Across Tone Deaf

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is causing the value of national soccer team fan tokens to fluctuate wildly, as events on the field have effects off it.&nbsp;



Immediately following Argentina’s 1-2 loss to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the ARG fan token’s price fell from $7.21 at the start of the game to $4.96 at the end of it — a 31% decline. At the time of writing, the token has <a href="https://www.fanmarketcap.com/tokens/argentine-football-association-fan-token" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climbed</a> slightly to $5.36, according to CoinGecko.



Argentina’s loss came as a shock to fans, given that the team counted on a 36-match unbeaten streak since 2019, and it was one match short of beating Italy’s 37-match unbeaten run.



Anticipation of the game propelled ARG to the number one spot by 24-hour volume on fan token tracking site <a href="https://www.fanmarketcap.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FanMarketCap</a>.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-flourish wp-block-embed-flourish"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/11912458/embed#?secret=PfTpQQLdrn" data-secret="PfTpQQLdrn" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" height="575" width="700"></iframe>
</div></figure>



Fan tokens represent a tiny fraction of the overall crypto market’s total value. ARG’s market capitalization is only $21.6 million, compared to ether at $138 billion or bitcoin’s $311 billion market cap.&nbsp;



Only four teams participating in the World Cup this year — Argentina, Portugal, Spain and Brazil — offer fan tokens through partnerships with the Socios platform. Token holders can benefit from merchandise and ticket promotions, as well as voting about a team’s kit change.



Fan tokens generally have an average of around 20,000 holders each, and about 16,700 people currently hold the Argentina fan token.



The Chiliz token (CHZ), which powers the Socios fan token ecosystem, has also collapsed by about 30% since the World Cup started. Portugal and Brazil have yet to play.



As for the winner of the match, <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/saudis-bidding-meme-undermined-by-crypto-investor-survey" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saudi Arabia</a>, it saw support from NFT investors. A collection titled &#8220;The Saudis&#8221;, featuring artwork derivative of CryptoPunks, saw trading volumes and sales soar over 2,300% in the last six hours, according to OpenSea. The collection is not tied to the Saudi Arabian government or to the country’s football team.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/the-breakdown">The Breakdown</a>: Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/0xresearch">0xResearch</a>: Alpha in your inbox. Think like an analyst. </li>
</ul>

Saudi World Cup Win Shows Argentina Fan Token the Red Card

The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicked off this weekend in Qatar. Millions of soccer fans are not only getting their fill of sports and competition this year, but they also can choose to interact with the various Web3 brands and companies that are hoping to achieve some goals of their own.&nbsp;



During the last FIFA World Cup in 2018 in Russia, the term Web3 was not a part of the global conversation. In 2022, however, athlete NFT drops and Bored Apes in Adidas commercials, for example, are accepted additions to the month-long tournament.



FIFA takes matches into the metaverse 



Starting with the international governing body of football itself, FIFA launched its own NFT marketplace deployed on the Algorand blockchain called FIFA+ Collect. Similar to the NBA Top Shots platform, users can collect video moments and highlights from previous World Cups.&nbsp;



Users can buy a pack of trading cards with three randomly selected highlights or single moments. The most expensive NFT in the marketplace at the time of writing is French player Kylian Mbappe&#8217;s goal against Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup for $7,500.



Additionally, FIFA <a href="https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/fifa-unveils-range-of-new-web-3-0-games-ahead-of-fifa-world-cup-qatar-202" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">partnered</a> with blockchain-based companies — Uplandme, Matchday, Phygtl and Altered State Machine — to develop various soccer-themed Web3 games. 



One mobile game called AI League, created in partnership with the Altered State Machine protocol, will let fans who make it to the top of the leaderboard be eligible for digital and physical prizes such as Vivo phones, gaming equipment and Adidas gift cards.



The Upland metaverse, which maps virtual land to real world cities, has set up a digital replica of the FIFA World Cup Lusail stadium, village and shops. Users can trade NFTs of country crests, apparel and posters from all 32 World Cup teams to complete digital collection albums. World Cup village properties can only be won in tournament-specific Upland activities.



Additionally, the Argentinian player Lionel Messi-backed gaming startup Matchday collaborated with FIFA to create a betting app. Users who challenge friends to World Cup predictions can win by getting it right and collecting trading cards of footballers who perform the best during the tournament.



Lionel Messi’s second NFT drop



Messi teamed up with Web3 studio Ethernal Labs and its NFT marketplace Ethernity to develop his second NFT collection — the Messi Time Machine Collection.



Five new digital collectibles are meant to commemorate the Paris Saint-Germain forward’s career. The first NFT in the series highlights his first World Cup appearance in 2006. Holders of that token will have access to up to four additional collectibles commemorating previous World Cup appearances in 2010, 2014 and 2018. A raffle will grant 10 holders a chance to claim an NFT for this year’s tournament.



The football star first worked with Ethernity in 2021 on the “The Messiverse” collection, which grossed $3.6 million and is reported as the platform’s most successful collection to date.&nbsp;



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“Web3 is catapulting traditional sporting events like the World Cup into the future by offering fans, teams, brands and players a new avenue to connect and gather as a community,” Nick Rose Ntertsas, CEO and co-founder of Ethernal Labs, told Blockworks.</blockquote>



He added that the World Cup serves as a “bridge” between mainstream fans and the Web3 world: “Players and brands recognize they must cater to new technologies like digital collectibles and metaverse meet-ups to catch the attention of fans that grew up in a digital age.”



Additionally, Messi stars in a <a href="https://twitter.com/indigo_herz/status/1592082920168390657?s=20&amp;t=PAmK69VmDiqoWBJ2GUPspQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Cup commercial</a> with Adidas-owned Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT, Indigo Herz, on the front of a cereal box aptly named “INDIGOOOOOLS.” Adidas purchased BAYC #8774 Indigo Hertz last year for a total of 46 ETH ($156,000 at the time) as part of its Adidas Originals ecosystem. 



Cristiano Ronaldo enters NFT space



While Messi has been a blockchain proponent for the past couple of years, the 2022 World Cup marks the arrival of one of his rivals to the industry — Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo. He is the most followed individual on Instagram, and crypto exchange Binance decided to take advantage of that fact.



Ronaldo <a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano/status/1593529459306598401" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">launched</a> an NFT collection on Binance.com as part of an exclusive, multi-year partnership with the exchange. The 6,645 NFT CR7 collection features seven animated statues depicting an iconic moment in Ronaldo’s life. 



The digital collectibles have four levels of rarity, and depending on the NFT rarity, owners have access to different perks — ranging from a personal message from Ronaldo, autographed merchandise, access to future NFT drops and complimentary gift boxes.



Ronaldo said in a statement that he was “able to make something that not only captures the passion of the game but rewards fans for all the years of support.”



However, Binance.com’s NFT marketplace isn’t available to US users, so they are instead eligible to receive a souvenir NFT for thresholds of USD deposits made on the platform within the promotion period. Only then will users gain whitelist access to purchase future CR7 NFTs.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Recently celebrity-endorsed crypto advertisements have come under fire given <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/what-do-tom-brady-steph-curry-and-naomi-osaka-have-in-common-an-ftx-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a class-action lawsuit against public figures</a> Tom Brady, Steph Curry, Larry David and others who were hired by now-bankrupt FTX. 



Earlier this year, Binance opted for a <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/binance-hires-nba-star-to-warn-against-celebrity-ads" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social media campaign that ironically used celebrities</a> and athletes to warn crypto investors about listening to celebrities. 



Nevertheless, Binance is now out with a 60-second <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAozsyoe9DI" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">television commercial</a> featuring Ronaldo to promote the partnership and the NFT collection during the World Cup.



Budverse x World Cup 2022 NFTs   



American Beer maker Budweiser made a $75 million agreement with FIFA to be World Cup’s official beer sponsor. The deal was altered, however, when FIFA decided to <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/story/4805520/fifaqatar-in-talks-over-whether-beer-will-be-sold-at-world-cup-stadiums-sources" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ban the sale of alcohol</a> in its stadium two days before the first game. 



Budweiser has instead <a href="https://twitter.com/Budweiser/status/1593893410062143488?s=20&amp;t=QWehbFR_pER6ghB_JSTKtw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decided</a> to give away all the beer they were planning on selling to the country that wins the tournament.



In the meantime, they are selling live NFTs that update in real-time throughout the tournament. Live scoreboard NFTs present holders with an animated scoreboard, featuring their chosen nation, that tracks the team’s statistics.&nbsp;



Each mint of a Budverse NFT costs $100 and includes a physical merch pack, including a scarf, a color changing Budweiser aluminum cup and a trading card. Holders are also eligible to enter into a sweepstakes at purchase for a chance to win a VIP trip to the tournament.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">Keep track of your favorite team with a customized collectible that tracks their progress throughout the tournament. Claim exclusive Budweiser x FIFA World Cup™ merch, and get entered for a chance to win the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup</a> VIP experience! <a href="https://t.co/1LBxJKeXjN">pic.twitter.com/1LBxJKeXjN</a>&mdash; Budweiser (@Budweiser) <a href="https://twitter.com/Budweiser/status/1580946123635953664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2022</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/the-breakdown">The Breakdown</a>: Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/0xresearch">0xResearch</a>: Alpha in your inbox. Think like an analyst. </li>
</ul>

Adidas

Messi and Ronaldo Lead World Cup NFT Bonanza

<div id="highlights-block_623a29cff3ea8" class="highlights">
 <ul>
 <li>Crypto.com had already made deals with the Australian Football League and Formula One this year</li>
 <li>Competitor FTX landed a partnership with tennis player Naomi Osaka on Monday</li>
 </ul>
 
</div>



Crypto.com will be a sponsor for the 2022 FIFA <a href="https://www.fifa.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Cup</a>, which is set to take place in Qatar in November and December.



As the exclusive cryptocurrency trading platform sponsor for the soccer event, the company’s brand will be on display inside and outside the tournament’s stadiums. Crypto.com will also offer opportunities for new and existing users to attend matches or win exclusive merchandise.



“There is no platform bigger, or with a greater reach and cultural impact, than FIFA’s global platform of football,” FIFA Chief Commercial Officer Kay Madati said in a statement. “We are delighted to have a global brand like Crypto.com join us as a sponsor of the exciting and groundbreaking FIFA World Cup in Qatar, ultimately helping to grow our beautiful game on a global scale.”



The company has made sports sponsorship deals a <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/crypto-com-cmo-on-how-company-went-from-app-to-global-brand/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">core component</a> of its brand-building campaign. It bought the naming rights to the Staples Center in Los Angeles last November as part of a 20-year, $700 million deal and aired a commercial starring actor Matt Damon.



In January this year it <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/crypto-com-australian-football-league-sign-18m-sponsorship-deal-in-country-first/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">signed a five-year sponsorship deal</a> with the Australian Football League and last month announced it would sponsor what will be known as the Formula One Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix in May.



The company was also among several industry heavyweights, including FTX and Coinbase, to run an advertisement <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/super-bowl-ads-spark-public-interest-coinbase-site-crashes-from-traffic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">during the Super Bowl</a> on Feb. 13. The 30-second commercial featured LeBron James and followed Crypto.com’s <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/lebron-james-partners-with-crypto-com-to-help-kids-learn-about-digital-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">partnership with the four-time NBA champion</a> to teach kids about crypto technology.



Other crypto firms have kept pace on the sports marketing front. Terra, for example, <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/washington-nationals-latest-pro-sports-team-to-strike-crypto-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">partnered with the Washington Nationals</a> last month. The baseball team said that stablecoin TerraUSD (UST) could be accepted as a payment method at Nationals Park next season.



Most recently, FTX landed a deal with tennis player Naomi Osaka on Monday. Joining athletes Tom Brady, Stephen Curry and others as a brand ambassador for the crypto company, the four-time Grand Slam winner will produce content and projects to reach young women in crypto.



Founded in 2016,&nbsp;Crypto.com has more than 10 million customers and roughly 4,000 employees across its offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/the-breakdown">The Breakdown</a>: Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily.</li>



<li><a href="https://blockworks.co/newsletter/0xresearch">0xResearch</a>: Alpha in your inbox. Think like an analyst. </li>
</ul>

FIFA World Cup

Newsletter

Blockworks Research