Crypto.com, the Singapore-based digital asset exchange and exclusive global crypto partner of the UEFA Champions League, is partnering with Fanatics Collectibles, the trading card company behind the Topps brand, on a first-of-its-kind activation at the 2026 UEFA Champions League Final in Budapest.
The campaign will give one football fan the chance to own the official Crypto.com Match Coin used during the match’s opening coin toss, the company said Friday.
As part of the initiative, the physical Match Coin will be embedded into a one-of-one premium Topps Now “Relic” trading card, with one collector selected at random to receive it after purchasing a corresponding base card through Topps.com following the final.
According to Nicholas Christ, Global Head of Sponsorships at Crypto.com, the collaboration with Topps merges one of football’s most iconic pre-match rituals with digital-era collecting and fan engagement.
“By tokenizing the physical coin we’re uniting two groups of sport fans – ones who collect NFTs and those who collect trading cards,” Christ said. “All while proving how this real-world tokenization use case can ultimately become an investment asset on the blockchain.”
The Match Coin will also be authenticated on the Cronos blockchain as a digital collectible. Ownership will provide access to exclusive experiences during the 2026/27 season, including UEFA Super Cup Final tickets, a league phase pass for a selected club’s matches, and participation in delivering the Match Coin before that club’s opening fixture, as noted by the team.
Ahead of the final, the Match Coin was flown into Budapest’s Puskás Aréna by drone and unveiled by UEFA ambassador Ashley Cole before being used by the referee to kick off the 2026 Champions League Final.
