FIFA Partners with Avalanche to Launch EVM-Compatible Blockchain, Shifts Focus from Polygon and Algorand
FIFA, the global governing body of football, has officially announced a partnership with Avalanche to launch its own Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible blockchain network. This move marks a strategic shift in FIFA’s digital asset strategy, as the organization plans to transition away from its previous partners, Polygon and Algorand.
The new blockchain initiative will serve as the backbone for FIFA Collect, the organization’s platform for digital collectibles. In a statement released Thursday, FIFA confirmed that all existing and future NFTs under the FIFA Collect brand will be migrated to the Avalanche-based network. The change is part of a broader plan to create a more integrated and scalable digital ecosystem for football fans worldwide.
Francesco Abbate, CEO of FIFA Collect and Modex—FIFA’s technical collaborator—highlighted the advantages of the switch. “This upgrade means faster speeds, stronger security, and better scalability,” Abbate said. “More importantly, it allows for seamless integration with popular digital wallets and provides a future-ready foundation for growth.”
The move also signifies the end of support for both Polygon and Algorand as hosts for FIFA’s digital collectibles, signaling a clear pivot toward a more centralized blockchain framework under FIFA’s direct control. While neither Avalanche nor FIFA has provided a definitive launch date, the shift comes on the heels of Avalanche’s Avalanche9000 upgrade, which aimed to lower development costs and streamline the deployment of custom blockchain networks, or subnets.
Avalanche’s native token, AVAX, surged by over 9% on May 22, in line with broader market gains across the cryptocurrency space.
By aligning with Avalanche, FIFA is betting on a faster, more developer-friendly infrastructure to support its growing ambitions in the Web3 and digital collectibles landscape. The move reflects a growing trend among major organizations to consolidate blockchain efforts under a single, optimized platform.