The gambling regulator of Switzerland is investigating whether “right-to-buy” tokens issued by FIFA ahead of the 2026 World Cup comply with gambling regulations, as reported by Bloomberg. No allegations of wrongdoing have been made.
Gespa is determining if these tokens, which can be traded on FIFA’s NFT marketplace, resemble gambling activities or if they represent conditional purchase rights. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
Director Manuel Richard informed Bloomberg on Monday that the authority has not alleged any wrongdoing nor received reports of it, and is gathering information to assess the situation.
According to FIFA’s website, RTB tokens are NFTs that secure a designated purchase window for a specific match. They are not tickets but allow holders to buy tickets at face value if certain conditions are fulfilled.
In 2024, FIFA launched “Right-to-Buy” (RTB) tokens for the World Cup Final, offering 1,000 RTB opportunities for fans. Team-specific RTBs activate only if the selected team qualifies, and can be resold on the secondary market through FIFA’s marketplace in collaboration with Modex, its Web3 partner.
For the 2026 World Cup hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, “Right to Final” tokens are priced between $299 and $999, depending on the team. Many tokens have already sold out, with prices influenced by the likelihood of the teams—long shots being less expensive, while favorites like Argentina, Brazil, and England command higher prices.
FIFA stated that RTBs were designed to meet the overwhelming demand for tickets to particular matches, highlighting that at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, there were 3.4 million tickets available amidst approximately 23 million requests.
Cointelegraph reached out to FIFA for a comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.
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FIFA’s investment in NFT technology
NFTs are unique blockchain tokens that confirm ownership and authenticity of specific assets. Although the broader NFT trend peaked between 2021 and 2022, FIFA has continued leveraging NFT technology for digital collectibles, ticket-access rights, and gaming.
The governing body began exploring Web3 and NFTs in 2022, unveiling plans to establish its platform, FIFA Collect, on the Algorand blockchain.
In December 2023, ahead of the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, FIFA and Modex introduced 1,000 NFTs: 100 providing a chance to win tickets for the 2026 World Cup finals and 900 additional collectibles minted on Polygon.
FIFA also ventured into Web3 gaming in 2024 with FIFA Rivals, developed by Web3 gaming studio Mythical Games. This free-to-play mobile game, launched in June 2025, enables players to manage clubs, compete, and trade NFT player cards on the Mythos blockchain.
In May, FIFA announced its decision to transition from Algorand to Avalanche for its NFT marketplace and collection, planning to use Avalanche to power its dedicated layer-1 blockchain.
Francesco Abbate, CEO of Modex and FIFA Collect, noted that AvaCloud’s EVM-compatible stack facilitates the integration of FIFA Collect with mainstream wallets and DApps.
With an estimated fanbase exceeding five billion worldwide, Avalanche Subnets will enable FIFA to operate a customized, adjustable chain capable of managing spikes in demand during significant events like the World Cup.
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