The FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage rolls on today, June 17, with four matches spread across three host nations. Portugal faces Congo DR in Houston, England meets Croatia in Dallas, Ghana takes on Panama in Toronto, and Uzbekistan squares off against Colombia in Mexico City.
Crypto’s biggest stage: Kraken, Avalanche, and FIFA’s digital playbook
Kraken became FIFA’s first Official Crypto Exchange Supporter on June 9, 2026. The partnership is designed to promote crypto awareness among fans across North America and Europe, which happen to be the two regions where the tournament’s co-hosts, the United States, Canada, and Mexico, draw their largest audiences.
This tournament expanded to 48 teams and 104 matches, meaning more eyeballs than any prior World Cup.
FIFA’s own blockchain infrastructure runs on Avalanche. The league’s digital collectibles platform, FIFA Collect, uses the chain to power NFTs and other digital memorabilia. After recent technological migrations, the platform has been enhanced to handle the kind of traffic that a global sporting event generates.
