Italy’s Fan Token is climbing as qualification jeopardy returns, but is the playoff the real catalyst, or is $ITA just riding broader fan-token flows?

The valuation of the Italy National Team FIGC Fan Token ($ITA) climbed 17% this week, with less than six weeks to go before Italy’s do-or-die World Cup play-off match against Northern Ireland.

Why World Cup Play-off Matters for $ITA Price

We’ve already seen how Fan Token prices reflect real-world bookmaker odds for the potential winner of the World Cup, and speculation on the outcome of Italy’s play-off match will naturally impact the $ITA token price.

READ MORE: World Cup Watch: Why National Team Fan Tokens Are Bouncing Back

Italy failed to make the automatic qualification spots in their World Cup qualification group, meaning they must make it through two play-off matches if they hope to appear at the 2026 World Cup this year.

First, Italy face Northern Ireland in a knockout play-off match on March 26. If they win this match, they then must beat the winner of the Wales v Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final play-off match on March 31.

There’s little doubt that the $ITA valuation will be pushed and pulled by speculation surrounding the outcome of the team’s play-off matches, particularly as the game against Northern Ireland draws closer.

How $ITA Price is Moving Ahead of World Cup Knockout Matches

Since Feb. 6, the $ITA valuation has climbed from $0.282 up to $0.332, marking growth of just over 17% in less than a week, while trade volume peaked at just under $200,000.

Whereas club football Fan Tokens often react to results and fixtures on a weekly basis, national team Fan Tokens operate on a longer time-frame, given the lengthy gaps between national team matches.

Given that Italy are the bookmakers’ favourites to beat Northern Ireland, it should be no surprise to see $ITA on the move already.

$ITA Fan Token Price History

While the past month has been choppy and volatile for Fan Tokens and the broader market, the trajectory of $ITA has been on the up since mid-December.

From a price point low of $0.197 on Dec. 19, the $ITA token has ultimately increased 68% up to the current price of $0.332.

Despite not being considered among the favourites for the World Cup, Italy’s underdog status could actually benefit a team that has historically done its best with its back to the wall.

READ MORE: Underdog Bite: The Case for Italy ($ITA) at the 2026 World Cup

How $ITA Compares to the Broader Market

Other national team Fan Tokens recorded gains in the market this week, to a greater or lesser extent than $ITA.

The valuation of the Portugal National Team FPF Fan Token ($POR) recorded 5.7% growth, as its token price climbed from $0.70 up to $0.74.

The Argentina National Team AFA Fan Token ($ARG) recorded modest gains of 3.8% amid a choppy trading week.

Meanwhile, the Spain National Team Fan Token ($SNFT) recorded 17% gains, as the token price climbed from $0.036 up to $0.042. Spain are considered the outright favourites to win the World Cup.

The strongest growth was recorded by the Brazil National Team Fan Token ($BFT), which climbed from $0.019 up to $0.026, marking weekly gains of 36%.

Brazil’s growth is unsurprising considering $BFT has often led the charge for national team Fan Tokens, even recording as much as 327% growth moving into the New Year.

Greg Thomson: Fan Tokens Market Reporter