FIFA President Gianni Infantino walked into Iran’s dressing room after their 2-2 draw against New Zealand on June 16 and delivered a message that carried weight well beyond the pitch. The Group G opener at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was Iran’s first match of the 2026 World Cup, played under circumstances that made the result feel like something more than a point earned.
Some Iranian officials couldn’t even get into the country. Visa denials forced them to watch the match from Mexico, a consequence of the deeply strained geopolitical relationship between the US and Iran. Infantino, standing in the locker room, told the players they were “stronger than everything” and that they had sent “a strong message to the entire world.”
A World Cup where crypto sits courtside
Kraken, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, is an official sponsor of the tournament. FIFA itself has been telegraphing its interest in digital assets for months. Earlier in the year, the organization announced plans for a “FIFA token” and a “FIFA coin,” aimed at engaging its massive, globally distributed fanbase.
Neither Iran nor New Zealand currently have fan tokens listed on those major platforms. For a match that generated genuine emotional and geopolitical intrigue, there was no direct way for crypto-native fans to express that interest through token markets. No trading volume spike, no speculative action, no liquidity to speak of.
