The FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout rounds kick off July 1 with England facing DR Congo in Atlanta, and crypto exchange Kraken is along for the ride as an official FIFA sponsor for the elimination stages.
England, managed by Thomas Tuchel, enters the Round of 32 clash as the heavy favorite. DR Congo, meanwhile, is making history by reaching the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time.
Why Kraken bet on the World Cup
Kraken’s sponsorship of FIFA’s knockout rounds is one of the most visible crypto-sports deals currently active. The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event on the planet, and the knockout stages are when viewership peaks.
Kraken is targeting a single tournament’s knockout phase rather than locking into a multi-year naming-rights deal. It’s a more surgical strategy, one that concentrates spend during peak attention rather than spreading it thin across years of regular-season games.
