Despite admitting he is no expert on crypto last year, FIFA’s President has raised a familiar concept while in the company of US President Donald Trump.
Gianni Infantino has confirmed FIFA is exploring a move into digital currency with proposed products known as the “FIFA Token” and “FIFA Coin”.
Infantino discussed the concept while speaking on stage at the World Liberty Forum earlier this week, where he described the idea as a “real potential global currency serving the 6 billion football fans worldwide.”
This isn’t the first time FIFA’s leader has brought up the idea of launching a cryptocurrency tied to the governing body, as he first flirted with the idea in March 2025 while at the White House Crypto Summit.
While it not all confirmed what he said on stage at the recent event due to it being private and relying on reporting from external sources, by all accounts there hasn’t been much difference from his first talk.
“If there is anyone here who is interested to team up with FIFA, here we are, together with the United States of America, and we will conquer the world of soccer with the FIFA coin,” he said at the time.
Why this time feels different
Despite Infantino raising the idea again 12 months later – and still offering no real detail about what the coin would be used for, who would build it or when it might launch – this time it feels as though something has changed.
A potential reason for this feeling is FIFA’s relationship with Trump, evidenced by Infantino jokingly putting on a Make America Great Again hat on stage at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace. The pair have grown close over the past few months leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The US will benefit significantly from hosting, with the President eyeing a $50bn economic boost from the tournament. Trump has also benefited personally, as in July 2025, FIFA opened an office in Trump Tower in Manhattan, and he was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
Another reason this feels different from the last mention of FIFA Coin is because of where it took place, possibly a benefit of FIFA’s links with Trump.
In March 2025, Infantino spoke at the White House Crypto Summit, which is a formal, government-hosted event in which he spoke in front of policymakers, regulators and industry leaders.
In February 2026, he spoke at the World Liberty Forum at Mar‑a‑Lago, an event hosted at Trump’s private club and organised by World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. This speech was in front of crypto investors, influencers and political allies.
What will FIFA use the coin for?
Digital currencies are far more familiar to sports fans than they were just a few years ago, mainly because of partnerships between teams, leagues and crypto companies. While many of these deals have primarily delivered brand exposure and new sponsorship revenue, some organisations have tested practical use cases.
Clubs such as FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have previously launched fan tokens, often used to drive engagement. In most cases, holders can vote in fan polls, access exclusive content, unlock merchandise offers or participate in loyalty-style rewards programmes.
There are fewer examples at governing-body level, though combat sports properties such as the Professional Fighters League and the Ultimate Fighting Championship have experimented with tokens. However, again, the focus has been on fan engagement, digital collectibles and promotional mechanics.
It remains unclear how FIFA would deploy a FIFA Coin or Token if launched. However, the “coin” hints at a more transactional role than previous sports tokens, potentially enabling ticket purchases, prize-money distribution or other tournament-linked payments within FIFA’s ecosystem.
