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.



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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.



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FIFA

FIFA faces Swiss probe over blockchain ticket tokens

James Cirrone

Nike NFT marketplace .Swoosh will be incorporated into future EA Sports video games.&nbsp;



While neither EA nor Nike has released information about which titles will include Nike virtual athletic attire, EA has a suite of sports-related games, most famously, FIFA.



Nike said it will give more specifics on how its NFTs — which it only refers to as “virtual creations” — will be included into EA’s games “in the coming months,” according to a <a href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-virtual-studios-dot-swoosh-ea-sports-partnership">statement</a> from Nike.



EA is Nike’s latest partner in its bid to incorporate Web3 into its business. Ron Faris, a vice president of Nike Virtual Studios, said in a statement that the partnership will unlock “new experiences for our .SWOOSH community and the massive EA SPORTS fan base.&#8221;



The shoe manufacturing giant <a href="https://blockworks.co/news/web3-watch-yuga-labs-adds-to-portfolio-nike-creates-nft-marketplace">launched Polygon-enabled .Swoosh in November 2022</a>, and Blockworks previously reported that users can trade NFTs on the platform as well as gain access to tangible products and events.&nbsp;



At launch, Blockworks also reported that .Swoosh was already working with top athletes including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lebron James, Michael Jordan and Serena Williams.&nbsp;



On May 15, .Swoosh, which is still in beta, released its first NFT sneaker collection called Our Force 1 — a reference to the brand’s popular Air Force 1 sneakers — and over 97,000 have been sold to nearly 53,000 addresses, according to <a href="https://polygonscan.com/token/0x851d5fa26636df46b6196879582324c311556b46">Polygonscan</a>.



<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">And that does it for the launch of the OF1 Collection. 🎉 Thank you to all of the 50K+ .SWOOSH members who participated. We&#39;ll be back tomorrow with a recap of all things OF1. Oh, and we have a special announcement coming at 8am PDT. 👀 Until tomorrow .SWOOSH fam 🫡&mdash; .SWOOSH (@dotSWOOSH) <a href="https://twitter.com/dotSWOOSH/status/1664165129657913351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2023</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



The Our Force 1 collection is limited to those with .Swoosh IDs, which are necessary to access the NFT platform. Nike’s general access sale opened on May 24 and closed in the early morning hours of Thursday, June 1.



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Nike NFTs Will Be Incorporated Into EA Sports Games

Tiago Varzim

<div id="highlights-block_6282bf96cbaae" class="highlights">
 <ul>
 <li>Crypto companies&#8217; latest deals are part of an effort to develop mainstream awareness of their brands internationally</li>
 <li>Binance, WhaleFin, Tezos, OKX and Crypto.com are a few of the companies that are investing in sponsorships all over the world</li>
 </ul>
 
</div>



Crypto markets may be down, but trading platforms are still pouring truckloads of money into sport sponsorships.



Last week, Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, <a href="https://www.binance.com/en/blog/markets/binance-is-the-new-exclusive-crypto-sponsor-of-brasileir%C3%A3o-421499824684903828" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> that it would be the exclusive crypto sponsor of Brasileirão, the leading soccer tournament in Brazil, for the next three years. As with other markets, Binance Launchpad will be used to develop NFTs and fan tokens, digital assets that offer interactivity and benefits for holders.



The sponsorship is “important to help expand crypto adoption and generate positive impact for our users, the crypto and blockchain community and society as a whole in Brazil,” Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, Binance CEO, said in a statement.



In Brazil, the company is already a sponsor of other major clubs such as Santos FC.



Crypto companies hope to reach more retail investors through soccer clubs with huge global reach via broadcast deals and social media accounts numbering in the millions of followers.



Binance’s investment in Brazil included an acquisition, pending approval from the central bank, of Sim;paul Investimentos, a Brazilian exchange that already has regulatory authorization in the country. Recently, Brazil’s Senate approved a draft bill to create rules for crypto in the country.



Binance, earlier this year, <a href="https://www.binance.com/es-AR/blog/community/la-asociaci%C3%B3n-del-f%C3%BAtbol-argentino-presenta-a-binance-como-nuevo-main-sponsor-global-y-fan-token-oficial-421499824684903342" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">became the main global sponsor</a> of the men&#8217;s national soccer team in Argentina, where soccer passion is as big as it is in Brazil. The five-year deal marks the first time that the exchange sponsored a national team. Argentina will play in FIFA’s World Cup later this year in Qatar.



In Portugal, another country known for its love of soccer, the 2022 championship winner FC Porto, also counts Binance as a sponsor. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Binance and the renowned soccer club jointly launched a token called FC Porto Fan Token, which lost 74% of its value in the last month, going from $14 to just $1.40.



In Italy, Binance sponsors Lazio, which ranks in fifth place in Serie A, the Italian soccer championship.



And Binance is not alone. WhaleFin, a trading platform for digital assets, will pay 20 million pounds to sponsor Chelsea Football Club’s shirt sleeve in the next season, according to the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/9f0c4272-a1ff-47cf-8bd6-4c90f1cd2843" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Financial Times</a>. Previously, another Premier League team, Manchester United, struck a sponsorship deal with blockchain platform Tezos. Manchester City, which won the British championship this year, has a global sponsorship deal with crypto exchange OKX.



Although soccer is an obvious option for sponsorship deals in Europe and South America, other sports are in the running for crypto dollars. Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com, which counts <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/crypto-com-cmo-on-how-company-went-from-app-to-global-brand/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">actor Matt Damon</a> among its hired marketing guns, became Formula 1’s global partner in 2021 in a deal worth $100 million, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/29/formula-1-strikes-100-million-cryptocurrency-sponsorship.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CNBC</a>, and more recently launched a nine-year deal Miami Grand Prix’s as official title partner.



Later this year, Crypto.com will also be one of the many <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/crypto-com-adds-fifa-world-cup-sponsorship-to-sports-marketing-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Cup official sponsors</a>, alongside companies such as Qatar Airways, Adidas, Coca-Cola, Wanda, Hyundai and Visa.



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Argentina

Latest Crypto Sponsorships: Binance Goes To Brazil, WhaleFin Partners With Chelsea FC

Ben Strack

<div id="highlights-block_6271415f2ce7c" class="highlights">
 <ul>
 <li>Price of Algorand (ALGO), which is down 50% from a year ago, gets boost after sponsorship news</li>
 <li>Partnership reflects FIFA’s commitment to “seeking innovative channels for sustainable revenue growth,” FIFA president says</li>
 </ul>
 
</div>



The price of Algorand’s native currency ALGO spiked after the blockchain revealed it would be a sponsor of FIFA and help the organization develop its digital assets strategy. 



ALGO’s price was $0.68 at 10:30 am ET, up about 15% from 24 hours ago, according to data compiled by Blockworks. The price, which was more than $2 as recently as November, is down 50% from a year ago and down 24% month over month.



The current market capitalization of ALGO is roughly $4.6 billion, making it the 31st largest coin, ahead of Stellar’s XLM.



Algorand will become the official blockchain platform of FIFA and provide an official blockchain-supported wallet solution, the company said in a Monday statement. It will be a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 regional supporter in North America and Europe and a FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 official sponsor.



FIFA will offer advertising, media exposure and promotional opportunities to Algorand, while the blockchain will assist FIFA in exploring ways to delve deeper into digital assets.



A spokesperson did not immediately comment on other specifics of the deal.



The agreement comes after Algorand Foundation CEO Staci Warden <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/former-jpmorgan-exec-named-algorand-foundation-ceo/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told Blockworks in February</a> the blockchain was seeking to bolster its marketing efforts by quadrupling the size of its community engagement team and expanding its developer relations unit.  



“This partnership with FIFA, the most globally recognized and distinguished organization in sports, will showcase the potential that the Algorand blockchain has to transform the way we all experience the world’s game,” Algorand Founder Silvio Micali said in a statement.



Switzerland-based FIFA, short for Fédération Internationale de Football Association, was founded in 1904 and is the international governing body of association football. The organization hit a high of roughly $4.6 billion in revenue in 2018, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/268873/revenue-of-the-football-association-fifa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to Statista</a>, due in part to its television broadcasting rights.



“The collaboration is a clear indication of FIFA’s commitment to continually seeking innovative channels for sustainable revenue growth for further reinvestment back into football ensuring transparency to our stakeholders and world-wide football fans — a key element of our vision to make football truly global,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.



Algorand will not be the only crypto company with brand exposure at the World Cup later this year. Crypto.com <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/crypto-com-adds-fifa-world-cup-sponsorship-to-sports-marketing-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced in March</a> that it would be the exclusive cryptocurrency trading platform sponsor for the soccer event, which is set to take place in November and December.



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Algorand

Algorand Price Up 15% After Deal With FIFA

<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.



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