The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) has generated at least $6 million from the resale of digital tickets for the 2026 World Cup. The sports organization retains 5% from each transaction on its NFT platform, FIFA Collect, with analysts from Chainalysis noting that the accumulated share is withdrawn to a major exchange.
Source: Chainalysis.Experts analyzed fund movements starting from May 2025, during which $24 million in payments from collectors flowed through the platform's main wallet. The scheme offered fans an alternative route to the stadium; FIFA randomly allocated tickets to applicants, while purchasing a digital item allowed direct access to a seat. According to FIFA Collect, over 100,000 individuals gained entry to matches through this method.
Understanding FIFA's NFT Marketplace
Chainalysis examined the smart contracts of FIFA Collect on the Avalanche network and found a universal address that handles primary sales, secondary transactions, and payments to sellers. A commission for the federation is automatically deducted from each transaction.
Example of FIFA NFT card collection. Source: Chainalysis.The wallet owner periodically transfers FIFA's accumulated share to an intermediary address, which then sends it to a major exchange. Experts estimate this process leads to conversion into fiat currency.
The organization benefitted from the active participation of collectors. Analysts noted that both newcomers and seasoned users tended to resell digital items more frequently than keeping them.
Who Purchased and Where the Money Came From
The primary demand was from fans of national teams that qualified for the tournament, accounting for $17.6 million compared to $6.6 million from the rest of the world. Most of the funds originated from wallets with a history of transactions, indicating that attracting new users unfamiliar with cryptocurrency was only partially successful, as pointed out by Chainalysis.
Source: Chainalysis.The entry threshold was high due to formal requirements: access to tickets necessitated identity verification and proof of funds, with each application reviewed manually. Analysts believe this vetting process deterred unscrupulous participants, resulting in a minimal portion of questionable funds on FIFA Collect.
In contrast, open prediction markets displayed different activity levels. Since January 2026, trading volume related to the 2026 World Cup reached $20 billion, with $5.7 billion occurring over the tournament's five weeks, involving around 400,000 wallets.
Approximately 3,700 addresses engaging in betting interacted with dubious counterparties. The largest source was the HTX exchange, which faced sanctions from the UK in late May and subsequently from the EU. At least $5.4 million flowed from it to participant wallets. Additionally, around $2 million was linked to fraudulent schemes, with over $800,000 associated with stolen funds.
Source: Chainalysis.It is worth noting that in October 2025, FIFA faced the threat of criminal proceedings in Switzerland due to its NFT initiatives.