The 2026 World Cup is barely underway and the storylines are already writing themselves. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane have all delivered decisive goals and performances to push their squads into knockout contention. England manager Thomas Tuchel called the quartet “sharks” on July 1, and it’s hard to argue with the metaphor.
Kraken makes history as FIFA’s first crypto exchange sponsor
On June 9, just two days before the opening match, FIFA announced that Kraken had become the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter for the 2026 World Cup. That’s a first. No crypto exchange had ever held this designation for a FIFA tournament.
The partnership is designed to enhance fan engagement across the North American host cities during the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19. This is the first World Cup expanded to 48 teams, meaning more matches, more countries involved, and a significantly larger global audience than the 32-team format that defined every tournament since 1998.
Fan tokens are riding the Messi effect
