México did not waste time making a statement at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Julián Quiñones scored in the 9th minute against South Africa, and Raúl Jiménez added a second, giving El Tri a clean 2-0 victory in the tournament’s opening match on June 11, 2026, at Mexico City Stadium.
Quiñones’ goal came the old-fashioned way: staying sharp in the box, reading a rebound off a scramble in the area, and burying it before the goalkeeper could recover. The assist from Gilberto Mora, a 17-year-old substitute making a late cameo, added a storyline that the local press will be writing about for weeks.
The crypto industry is treating this like the Super Bowl
While México was celebrating on the pitch, a different kind of game was playing out in the marketing suites. Kraken, Chiliz, and Avalanche all used the World Cup as a major brand exposure vehicle.
Kraken’s presence fits a pattern the exchange has pursued aggressively, attaching the brand to high-visibility sports moments to normalize crypto in everyday cultural conversation. Chiliz operates a fan-token platform that lets supporters buy digital tokens tied to their favorite clubs, unlocking voting rights on minor club decisions and access to exclusive content. Avalanche provides the blockchain infrastructure powering sports NFTs and broader Web3 projects in the sports space.
