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FIFA wants to cut the number of coin tosses before a penalty shootout in half. The current system uses two separate flips: one to pick which end of the pitch the kicks happen on, and another to decide which team shoots first. The new proposal would collapse that into a single toss, where the winning captain picks one of the two options and the losing captain gets the other.
It’s the kind of procedural housekeeping that sounds trivial until you remember that penalty shootouts decide World Cups. And this one needs approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) before the knockout rounds begin.
What’s actually changing
Under the existing rules, the pre-shootout ritual involves two distinct coin tosses. The first determines which goal the penalties will be taken at. The second decides which team kicks first.
FIFA’s proposal merges these into one decision point. Win the toss, pick your priority: do you want to choose which end to use, or do you want to shoot first? The loser gets whichever option is left.
The timing matters. The 2026 World Cup is being hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and this proposal surfaced during the group stage or early knockout phase. IFAB is expected to vote on it by the weekend, meaning it could be in effect for the matches that actually decide who goes home.
FIFA’s quiet blockchain play on Avalanche
FIFA operates its own blockchain built on Avalanche, which hosts the FIFA Collect NFT platform. That platform has accumulated over 85,000 addresses. These digital collectibles are FIFA’s bet on fan engagement beyond the stadium, giving supporters a way to own moments from the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup has also attracted traditional crypto partnerships. Kraken was announced as the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the tournament in June 2026, joining a growing list of digital asset companies that see major sporting events as marketing goldmines.
Then there’s the fan token ecosystem. Chiliz, the blockchain platform that powers fan tokens for sports teams, has seen trading volume spikes in its CHZ token that correlate with World Cup match schedules. When a national team plays, its associated fan token tends to see a bump.
What this means for investors
Let’s be clear. A procedural tweak to penalty shootout rules does not constitute a market event.
But the ecosystem surrounding the 2026 World Cup is worth watching for anyone with exposure to sports-adjacent crypto assets. The Avalanche-based FIFA Blockchain represents one of the more prominent use cases for a layer-1 chain being tied to a specific, time-bound global event. With over 85,000 addresses already on the platform, the knockout rounds could drive meaningful spikes in activity as fan engagement intensifies.
Fan tokens remain the most direct speculative play on tournament outcomes. Chiliz-powered tokens have historically shown volatility around match days, with trading volumes rising and falling in sync with the fixture calendar. Fan tokens are notorious for post-event sell-offs. NFT platforms tied to specific competitions often see sharp declines in engagement once the final whistle blows.
Kraken’s sponsorship deal also signals that major exchanges see the World Cup as a customer acquisition channel.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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