Cryptoverse: Messi takes on Ronaldo in fan coin world cup

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Doha, Qatar - November 25, 2022 An Argentina fan holds up his drum with an image of Lionel Messi on it on the Doha Corniche REUTERS/Lee Smith/File Photo

(Reuters) - The market for fan tokens, a volatile cocktail of crypto and sport, is heating up in the desert of Qatar.

Interest in this niche breed of cryptocurrencies, typically linked to sports teams like Barcelona or Brazil, has been charged up by the soccer World Cup which began on Nov. 20.