FIFA+ Collect, the governing body’s NFT platform, has announced that fans have the chance to buy World Cup tickets via its ‘First-Timers’ activation.

The NFT platform, launched in 2022, has initiated a collection challenge featuring several levels. Completion of this challenge provides participants with the exclusive opportunity to secure two tickets for the three group stages matches for the FIFA World Cup™ 2026.

The “First Time” activation revolves around the inaugural goals of football legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Roberto Baggio and Didier Drogba.

The platform’s NFTs come in various types, catering to different collectors’ preferences and budgets. Common NFTs represent everyday items or moments, Rare NFTs represent unique or limited edition moments, Epic NFTs capture highly significant moments or characters, while Iconic NFTs represent the most culturally significant assets, commanding the highest value.

FIFA has stated that to complete the challenge and win the rights to purchase tickets, fans must collect specific items at each level:

  • Level 1: Obtain three specific commons
  • Level 2: Add three more specific commons
  • Level 3: Complete the commons by acquiring the remaining three
  • Level 4: Secure the three rare moments available
  • Level 5: Finish the collection with the two epic and the iconic moment

All NFTs can be acquired through packs, which are available at a cost of $14.99 and in each pack, collectors have varying probabilities of obtaining different tiers of items.

Common items have the highest chance of appearing, with odds at 85.3%, followed by rare items at 12%. Moving up the rarity scale, epic items have a lower probability at 2.33%, while the most sought-after iconic items present the greatest challenge, with odds as low as 0.333%.

Supporters also have the option to buy NFTs directly from fellow collectors. For instance, Ronaldo’s goal against Iran in the 2006 World Cup, deemed Iconic. Currently, three sellers have listed this NFT for sale, with prices ranging from $2,000-$5,000.

Notably, a twitter page that keeps track of transactions on the NFT marketplace promoted a sale of the aforementioned Ronaldo NFT for $1,750.00.

At this moment in time, there’s no estimated cost for completing the challenge. However, reports indicate that tickets for group stage matches may range from approximately $60-$600.

Additionally, FIFA has unveiled a ‘Glory’ edition to the First-Timers activation. To celebrate the return of the World Cup to the US in 2026, a special collectible has been crafted. This iconic piece, limited to only 100 copies, commemorates the first goal of US men’s player Timothy Weah.

The unique Glory collectible offers embedded utility, serving as the sole item capable of granting the holder the right to purchase a ticket for the inaugural match in the US at the SoFi Arena in Los Angeles on 12 June 2026.

While NFTs initially gained traction among sports organisations, their usage has seen a recent decline. Nevertheless, Manchester City collaborated with cryptocurrency exchange OKX to launch an NFT campaign called ‘Unseen City Shirts’ earlier this year. 
The initiative allowed supporters to redeem the commemorative football shirts for exclusive prizes on the OKX app.

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