England beat Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca Stadium on July 5, advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals.
While 80,000 fans in Mexico City were losing their minds, a parallel game was unfolding on-chain. Fan token trading volumes surged, prediction markets lit up, and Kraken, FIFA’s first-ever official crypto exchange partner, got exactly the kind of high-drama showcase it paid for.
The match: England survives itself
Jude Bellingham scored twice in a devastating two-minute burst. His goals in the 36th and 38th minutes gave England a commanding 2-0 lead.
Mexico’s Julián Quiñones pulled one back in the 42nd minute. Jarell Quansah received a red card in the 54th minute, reducing England to 10 men. Harry Kane converted a penalty in the 60th minute to restore the two-goal cushion. Raúl Jiménez answered with his own penalty in the 69th minute, and suddenly England was clinging to a one-goal lead with a man disadvantage against a co-host nation.
