Edin Dzeko, 40 years old and still lacing up boots for his country, walked along a metal fence in Toronto signing autographs for Bosnian fans who had traveled thousands of miles to watch their team play on the biggest stage in football. It was a scene that captured something deeper than sport: a diaspora reuniting around eleven players in matching kits.
Bosnia and Herzegovina are back at the FIFA World Cup for just the second time in their history, opening against co-host Canada on June 11, 2026. The last time they qualified was 2014 in Brazil. This time, they punched their ticket through the playoffs, defeating Italy in a penalty shootout, which is the kind of sentence that deserves to be read twice.
Where crypto meets the World Cup
FIFA’s digital collectibles infrastructure runs on Avalanche, using a custom blockchain built specifically for the tournament’s needs. That means everything from digital memorabilia to match-day activations is being processed on-chain.
Crypto exchanges have been prominently featured during tournament ceremonies and match-day activations.
