Al Ahly Becomes First African Club to Join FIFA Collect Platform in Strategic Digital Partnership.

Roger Hampel

Photo Credit: Al Ahly

Al Ahly SC, one of Africa’s most decorated football clubs, has entered into a strategic partnership with FIFA and Modex to become the first African team featured on the FIFA Collect platform — FIFA’s official digital collectibles ecosystem. The partnership represents a significant move in the club’s broader strategy to enhance its global presence and engage fans through new technologies.

Strategic Expansion Through Digital Collectibles

FIFA Collect is a blockchain-powered digital platform developed in partnership with Modex, offering fans a chance to own, trade, and interact with official football collectibles featuring players, moments, and clubs. By joining this ecosystem, Al Ahly aims to provide its supporters — both local and global — with new, immersive fan experiences that extend beyond matchdays.

Amir Tawfik, CEO of Al Ahly Football Company, said:

“Together, we're bringing innovative experiences to our fans worldwide,” said Amir Tawfik. “This is a milestone in our digital and global growth journey.”

First-Mover Advantage in African Football Al Ahly FIFA

Al Ahly’s participation positions the Egyptian club as a first-mover in the African football market when it comes to integrating blockchain-based fan engagement. The partnership serves multiple strategic objectives:

• Brand globalization: Increasing Al Ahly’s exposure beyond the MENA region

• Fan monetization: Offering new digital products to international supporters

• Innovation signaling: Aligning with FIFA and Modex reinforces the club’s forward-thinking positioning

• Competitive parity: Joining a platform shared with global football institutions boosts perception and commercial leverage

  
  

This digital step also complements Al Ahly’s existing commercial strategy, which includes international partnerships, brand licensing, and expanding its digital reach through social media and OTT platforms.

FIFA’s Growing Focus on Club-Level Digital Assets

While FIFA Collect originally centered around FIFA World Cup™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup™ content, the addition of club entities like Al Ahly indicates FIFA’s intention to scale the platform toward year-round engagement, similar to how other sports leagues like the NBA and NFL have developed NFT ecosystems.

This move allows FIFA to remain relevant in the fan engagement space outside of its quadrennial tournaments — and offers clubs a new pathway to visibility within FIFA’s global ecosystem.

The Business of Digital Collectibles in Football

Football’s digital collectibles market is still developing but offers long-term potential for clubs to:

• Diversify revenue streams

• Activate younger, tech-savvy demographics

• Create cross-border fan interactions

• Leverage data and engagement metrics from digital asset ownership

  
  

With the collectibles industry predicted to reach $100 billion+ globally by 2032, football brands are increasingly integrating blockchain and Web3 tools to establish early positions in this high-growth sector.