Every player on Mauricio Pochettino’s roster trained together for the first time on June 8, with 5,500 fans watching at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Irvine, California. Three days before the opening match, the USMNT finally had a full-strength session.
The timing matters beyond the pitch. On June 9, FIFA announced that Kraken has been named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament, which kicks off June 11 with an expanded 48-team format across the US, Canada, and Mexico, is now directly tethered to the crypto industry in a way no prior World Cup has been.
Crypto meets the world’s biggest stage
Kraken’s deal with FIFA is designed to activate fan engagement across North America and Europe. The partnership includes visibility around the opening match and a countdown concert at Crypto.com Arena.
FTX slapped its name on a Miami arena. Crypto.com bought naming rights in Los Angeles. Most of those deals were signed during the 2021-2022 euphoria, and several aged like milk left in the sun. Kraken’s FIFA partnership is different in one critical respect: the exchange is still standing, still operational, and signing deals in what feels like a more measured market cycle.
