The 2026 FIFA World Cup is barely underway, and the USMNT already has one of the tournament’s most compelling subplots. Christian Pulisic, the team’s marquee attacker and most commercially connected player in the crypto space, is nursing an injury after a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay. His potential absence against Australia opens the door for Giovanni Reyna, whose stoppage-time goal off the bench made a loud case for a starting role.
Kraken, Chiliz, and the World Cup crypto gold rush
Kraken secured the title of FIFA’s Official Crypto Exchange Supporter on June 9, just days before the tournament kicked off.
Chiliz has gone even bigger. The company behind the CHZ token and the Socios.com fan engagement platform committed somewhere between $50 million and $100 million in sponsorship initiatives specifically targeting US fans during the tournament.
The US is hosting games for the first time since 1994. American soccer fandom has exploded in the intervening decades. And the USMNT’s opening performance, a statement win built on attacking football, gave both sponsors and fans plenty to be excited about.
