For those who need more football than they can get in a 90-minute game, the 2022 World Cup is heading into Web3. A few ways to enjoy the Web3/World Cup mashup include non-fungible token-powered trade games, branded NFT collections, and metaverse worlds – even one where virtual self can watch streaming games in a metaverse lounge.
The World Cup which began in Qatar in November even has an official sponsor in the form of the decentralized cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com.
FIFA + Collect
The International Federation of Association Football, or FIFA, which is also the partner of the PlayStation games, is in charge of formally managing the World Cup. FIFA introduced its own NFT platform on the Algorand blockchain in September, and it will be used for the World Cup as well.
The trading card game from FIFA resembles NBA Top Shot, a platform for collectibles that helped spark the NFT craze at the beginning of 2021. In a manner similar to that game, FIFA+ Collect has players collect noteworthy athletic events. Imagine it as an NFT-powered version of a trading card game.
Packs of NFTs with a World Cup theme are already available. The Drop 2: FIFA Archives Packs, which cost $4.99 apiece, provide highlights from previous World Cup matches including both men’s and women’s teams.
According to FIFA Chief Business Officer Romy Gai, the packs “democratize[e] the possibility to own a portion of the FIFA World Cup.” In the same way that sports collectibles and stickers are accessible, he continued, “this is a chance for fans all throughout the world to interact with their favorite players, moments, and more on new platforms.”
