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- Multi-year deal sees ADI appointed as first-ever official partner for prediction market category
- Platform to leverage historical Fifa data
- Fifa says various safeguards to be implemented to ensure transparency, fairness and participant protection
Fifa has moved into the prediction markets space after signing a multi-year partnership with ADI Predictstreet.
The agreement will see ADI launch a global prediction market platform in time for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, powered by Fifa’s official historical data. Fans will be able to forecast match outcomes, tournament statistics, standout players and other key moments throughout the competition.
The platform will be available worldwide via mobile and desktop applications and will run on ADI’s proprietary blockchain infrastructure. While initially focused on soccer and wider sport, the company has ambitions to expand the system into other sectors, including finance, technology and global events.
As part of the deal, ADI will also serve as presenting partner of Fifa’s free-to-play bracket challenge, enabling supporters to predict how the tournament will unfold and compete with friends, adding another layer of engagement around the World Cup.
Prediction markets allow users to trade contracts linked to the outcome of specific events, with prices fluctuating based on perceived likelihood. Fifa said ADI’s World Cup-related activity will operate within the governing body’s regulatory and integrity frameworks, including real-time monitoring of suspicious activity and formal processes for reporting concerns.
“Fifa is committed to continually enhancing the fan experience and embracing innovation that brings supporters closer to the game,” said Fifa president Gianni Infantino. “By partnering with Fifa, ADI Predictstreet will be introducing an exciting new way for fans around the world to engage with football, using insight and interaction to deepen their connection with our competitions.”
Ajay Hans Raj Bhatia, principal council member of ADI Predictstreet, added: “This partnership marks a defining moment for ADI Predictstreet and how audiences engage with major events, as we lay the foundation for a new category where collective intelligence, technology, and real-world outcomes converge.”
SportsPro says…
This deal underlines the rapid rise of prediction markets, which have gained significant traction over the past year as an alternative way for fans to engage with live events.
While proponents argue these platforms offer a more transparent, market-driven alternative to traditional betting, critics maintain they are effectively a form of unregulated gambling. In the US, senators have already proposed legislation that would prevent prediction markets from offering contracts tied to sporting outcomes.
Fifa has not been shy about unlocking new commercial inventory and insists that due diligence has been carried out, with robust regulatory and integrity measures in place. However, scrutiny around ADI Predictstreet remains. According to Josimar, ADI, which is backed by the Abu Dhabi royal family, is unlicensed in almost all jurisdictions and is run by someone who last year paid a six-figure sum to settle an accusation of insider trading in India.
Those concerns are unlikely to ease scepticism around prediction markets, which are already facing increasing regulatory pressure. Fifa, meanwhile, could do without another negative headline tied to this summer’s World Cup.
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