The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina kicks off July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. But the real story for the crypto world isn’t happening on the pitch. It’s happening in the ticketing infrastructure underneath it.

FIFA’s blockchain-based ticketing platform, FIFA Collect, built on Avalanche, has processed over $25 million in secondary market transactions as of mid-July. More than 100,000 Right-to-Buy tokens have been issued for the tournament, and demand for the final has pushed secondary ticket prices as high as $10,000.

Blockchain meets the beautiful game

The federation deployed its ticketing system on Avalanche’s blockchain, issuing Right-to-Buy tokens that give…