In May 2025, FIFA announced the launch of a dedicated layer-1 blockchain utilizing Avalanche’s Subnet technology. The new blockchain is designed to serve as the new infrastructure for FIFA’s blockchain-based products, such as NFTs and games, offering enhanced performance, scalability and user experience. FIFA’s own blockchain gives it full ownership over the protocol layer, enabling it to decide how assets are issued, how games integrate and how users interact with its products without being dependent on third-party roadmap decisions. FIFA has a fanbase estimated at over 5 billion people globally, according to the organization’s own figures published after the 2022 World Cup. During that tournament FIFA reported more than 1.5 billion viewers for the final match.
The blockchain infrastructure needs to handle extreme surges in transactions during such events. Avalanche’s Subnet architecture allows FIFA to scale independently from the broader Avalanche network, providing customizable throughput and governance suited to event-based spikes in user activity. Avalanche Subnets support the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This allows FIFA’s blockchain to interact natively with the broader Ethereum ecosystem. The developers can work with smart contracts more easily, and users can engage using standard wallets like MetaMask, Trust Wallet and others. This opens the door to broader engagement from the Web3 community.
Avalanche has been positioning its Subnet technology as a modular solution for enterprises and institutions building their own chains that still need cross-chain functionality. This aligns with FIFA’s interest in expanding beyond collectibles into Web3 gaming and fan participation tools that interact with multiple platforms. The FIFA blockchain is being built as a dedicated Subnet, a customizable blockchain that operates independently while still benefiting from Avalanche’s consensus model and infrastructure. FIFA’s EVM compatibility means developers can build decentralized applications (DApps) using Solidity, and FIFA can integrate with the broader decentralized finance and NFT ecosystems.
FIFA Collect, the organization’s official digital collectibles platform, has fully transitioned to the new Avalanche-based blockchain as of June 2025. The fans can buy and trade highlights from FIFA tournaments as NFTs, but now some of those NFTs come with added utility. FIFA is also entering blockchain gaming through a new mobile title called FIFA Rivals, developed with Mythical Games and Bacon Games. The game is set to launch globally in June 2025 and is being timed with the Club World Cup. Unlike traditional football games, FIFA Rivals leans into arcade-style action and fantasy gameplay. Players will build and customize teams, compete in live matches, and collect digital player cards, all of which exist as NFTs.