The FIFA World Cup 2022 is held in Katar during winter time. But that’s not the only thing that is unusual about this year’s event. Last week, FIFA announced that they are going to release an NFT platform before the world cup to get fans and the public excited about the upcoming event.

What is “FIFA+ Collect” and what kind of NFTs will be released on the official platform?

FIFA+ is a streaming service

In May FIFA announced its partnership with Algorand to develop a digital asset strategy. Algorand is a proof of staked based blockchain that started in 2017 and was invented by Silvio Micali. One of its goals is to solve the blockchain trilemma which is highly controversial, since no other blockchain has solved this problem and some people even argue that it is entirely impossible.

Nevertheless, Algorand has been a very successful blockchain project and the fact that it became an official partner of FIFA reflects its success as a well as its ambitions.

As the name already reveals, FIFA+ Collect will be part of the FIFA+ streaming platform. Fans can use the platform for free and are able to enjoy different kinds of content like football documentations. It is also possible to stream live matches on the platform.

FIFA+ Collect will introduce NFTs

Part of the digital asset strategy of FIFA involves Web3 and NFTs which are both powered by Algorands blockchain. FIFA+ Collect will be integrated into the FIFA+ environment and is going to extent the service and products of the streaming service.

The new blockchain platform will offer digital collectibles for fans. This is very similar to what we have seen in past with stickers featuring the participating teams. Fans can download the app and start collecting their favorite players. Other use cases are also possible like digital tickets or exclusive access to other content related to the FIFA World Cup.

While this offers a lot of opportunities it is still unconfirmed what other features will be introduced with the new extended platform. According to the official press release, FIFA is going to announce the full range of digital products that will become available in the next few weeks. This is yet another example of successful integration of blockchain technology adding value by providing a framework for digital products that are easy to use and can be held directly by their respective owners.