Swiss authorities are examining FIFA’s latest method of managing access to 2026 World Cup tickets, according to a report by Bloomberg on October 6.
The focus is on FIFA’s “Right-to-Buy” (RTB) tokens, which are based on blockchain technology. These tokens allow people to reserve the opportunity to purchase tickets, provided certain conditions are met.
Gespa, the Swiss regulator responsible for gambling oversight, is assessing whether these tokens fall under the country’s gambling laws.
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At this stage, they are not accusing FIFA of breaking any rules. Instead, they are collecting information to understand whether the product behaves like a betting system or acts as a conditional purchase option.
FIFA launched the RTB tokens through a non-fungible token (NFT) platform. These tokens are not tickets, but they guarantee that holders will get a time window to buy tickets at face value if a specific team qualifies for a match.
The tokens are linked to certain national teams, and they only become usable if those teams make it to the game. Token holders can also sell them through FIFA’s digital marketplace, which is supported by the blockchain company Modex.
The system was first introduced in 2024 for the World Cup Final, with a limited release of 1,000 tokens.
For the 2026 World Cup, set to be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico, RTB tokens are priced between $299 and $999. The price depends on the popularity and likely success of the selected team.
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