Chiliz Fan Token™ World Cup Squad Grows, Will More Follow?

Yesterday, news broke that Scotland and South Africa had become the latest World Cup-bound nations to launch their very own Fan Token™ after partnering with Chiliz and Socios.com. 

For the first time, supporters of both countries have an opportunity to connect with their team via exclusive experiences, digital rewards, interactive polls, and more.

Let’s take a closer look at the expanding Fan Token™ roster ahead of this summer’s tournament, and consider whether more are on the way.

Which National Teams Have Fan Tokens™?

The South African Football Association ($SAFA) and Scottish FA ($SFA) Fan Tokens™ are in good company, joining a roster of assets from national teams who have a reasonable chance of going deep at this year’s tournament. 

These include World Cup holders Argentina ($ARG) and Euro 2016 champions Portugal ($POR), and though Italy ($ITA) failed to qualify, the four-time World Cup winners will already be regrouping and eyeing success at Euro 2028.

It is notable that Argentina and Portugal have Fan Tokens™, as these nations are captained by the world’s most iconic players, namely Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Given their age, it is very likely the 2026 World Cup will be their last.

Between them, Messi and Ronaldo have scored 1,883 senior career goals and the Portugal captain is the leading men’s international scorer with 143 goals from 225 games. 

The Argentine, meanwhile, co-holds with Pelé the World Cup goal contribution record of 21 (12 goals, nine assists); Ronaldo has 19. Messi is the only player in history to register an assist at five World Cups.

At the time of writing, the Argentina Fan Token™ ($ARG) is the third-most valuable SportFi asset with a market cap of over $10M. The Portugal Fan Token™ ($POR) sits just outside the top 10 with a market cap of $5.9M. Both assets launched in 2021.

How Could National Team Fan Tokens™ React to the World Cup?

Given SportFi assets often react to what happens on the pitch, there will be a great deal of in-game trading activity centered on this summer’s tournament, just as there was in 2022.

When Argentina suffered an unexpected 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia early in that World Cup, the value of $ARG fell 31%. Argentina’s subsequent semifinal victory over Croatia had the opposite effect, causing the token’s value to jump 70%.

READ ALSO: Why National Fan Tokens Trade Differently to Club Fan Tokens

In-game trading could also be boosted by the fact that Fan Tokens™ are going omnichain, which will significantly increase liquidity. For the first time, traders on Solana and Base will be able to interact with these assets without leaving their preferred wallets, platforms, or blockchains.

Like their club counterparts, national team Fan Tokens™ can be traded on a range of popular crypto exchanges, while their fan engagement utility is centered on Socios.com. 

Could More National Fan Tokens™ Be on the Way?

In February, Chiliz’ Manifesto 2026-2030 teased the launch of new national team Fan Tokens™ on Socios.com as part of its locker room campaign. Did these remarks refer to Scotland and South Africa, or are more on the way?

That question will hang in the air until such time as more are announced, although with the World Cup starting in three weeks, we won’t have long to find out.

Nations keen to strengthen their relationship with fans in the digital realm may look at the likes of Argentina, Portugal, and Italy and decide that they, too, wish to launch a Fan Token™ on the world’s leading blockchain provider for sports, Chiliz.

In announcing the launch of $SAFA yesterday, Chiliz CEO Alexandre Dreyfus said “As we fast approach the World Cup, we are committed to building a global community where fans have a voice and a unique connection to their national teams.”

Ronnie McCluskey: Fan Tokens™ Market Reporter