Switzerland investigates the NFT launched by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup

The Swiss regulator analyzes NFT tokens “Right-to-Buy” of the FIFA to del World 2026, to see if these do not conflict with the laws that regulate the betting sector.

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• GESPA investigate if the tokens of FIFA They could be considered bets or conditional purchasing rights.
• The NFT They allow fans to acquire tickets at base price if their equipment classifies.
• FIFA its web expansion continues with Modex, Avalanche and Mythical Games.

Switzerland’s gambling authority, GESPA, is evaluating whether tokens “Right-to-Buy” (RTB) issued by the FIFA before World Cup 2026 They comply with the regulations governing bets, as reported Bloomberg Although no irregularity has been alleged, the regulator seeks to determine whether these digital assets could be considered a form of play or a conditioned purchase right.

What are tokens “Right-to-Buy”?

According to the FIFA, the RTB They are non -fungible tokens (NFT) that give their headlines an exclusive window to acquire tickets to certain matches. They do not equal tickets in themselves, but allow buying tickets to the nominal value if certain conditions are met, such as the chosen team classify to a specific phase.

The sports agency first launched this modality in 2024 for the final of the World Cup (CONIFA), offering 1,000 tokens for fans. The RTB linked to equipment are only activated if the corresponding selection manages to advance, and can be exchanged in the secondary market of the own FIFA, administered through its partner Web3, Modex.

Interest of GESPA and regulatory aspects

The director of GESPA, Manuel Richard, declared Bloomberg than the entity “You are gathering information to determine if any action is required”although he insisted that there are no formal complaints or suspicions of infraction.

The review arises while tokens for the 2026 World Cup —That will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico – are already sold in ranges between USD $ 299 and USD $ 999, depending on the equipment. Favorites such as Argentina, Brazil and England are at the highest end of the spectrum, while the selections with less likely to reach the final offer lower prices.

This model generates questions about its possible similarity to bets, since prices are partially determined depending on sports probabilities.

Input demand and web boom

FIFA He explained that the RTB They were created in response to the enormous demand for tickets facing each tournament. In Qatar 2022, For example, 3.4 million tickets were offered for around 23 million applications, a proportion of almost 7 to 1.

The governing body of world football has not yet issued comments on Swiss research. However, this is not the first time that its technology -based strategy Blockchain generates debate.

Since 2022, FIFA He has invested in digital collectibles and web3 experiences. That year he launched its native platform “FIFA COLLECT “ On the network Blockchain of Algorand, allowing fans to acquire NFT of prominent moments and collectible articles.

In 2023, before Club World Cup held in Saudi Arabia, FIFA and Modex They issued 1,000 NFT —100 of them offered the possibility of winning tickets for the final of 2026 – while the remaining 900 were additional collectibles coined in Polygon

Subsequently, in 2024, the organization debuted in the web3 video game sector with “FIFA Rivals”, Developed by the study Mythical Games. The free mobile title allows players to manage clubs, compete and trade NFT cards on the network Blockchain of Mythos.

In May 2025, FIFA He decided to leave Algorand and migrate your ecosystem NFT toward Avalanche, using its own layer 1 to offer greater scalability and control. According to Francesco Abbate, CEO of MODEX AND FIFA COLLECT, The infrastructure Avacloud facilitates connection with web wallets and decentralized applications compatible with the Ethereum virtual machine (EVM).

The digital future of world football

With a base of more than five billion fans, the FIFA It seeks to take advantage of the potential of the blockchain to manage its digital assets and face traffic peaks in global events such as the World Cup. The “Subnet” of Avalanche They allow personalized chains to be operated capable of adapting to demand during tournaments.

Yes ok GESPA has not yet determined whether tokens “Right-to-Buy” They constitute a game activity, the case highlights the tensions between digital innovation and regulation, an issue that will continue to be key while the king sport advances towards an increasingly decentralized and digital future.

Written article with the help of an AI content editor, edited by Angel Di Matteo / Diariobitcoin

Original image of UNSPLASH.

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