England just knocked off co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in one of the more dramatic matches of the 2026 World Cup, and now the squad is locked in on a quarter-final clash with Norway in Miami this Saturday. John Stones, the veteran centre-back who came off the bench to help a 10-man England side hold on for the win, says the entire squad is laser-focused on what comes next. But here’s the thing: Stones isn’t just a footballer anymore. He’s also a crypto ambassador, and his dual identity captures something broader happening at the intersection of sport and digital assets.
Stones serves as an ambassador for Axi, a crypto trading platform. That makes him one of a growing number of top-tier footballers lending their names to digital asset companies during a tournament that has supercharged fan engagement across Web3 platforms.
The World Cup effect on fan tokens and NFTs
Chiliz, the blockchain network behind fan tokens for dozens of major sports organizations, has seen increased activity and trading volume tied to World Cup events. CHZ, the native token of the Chiliz ecosystem, tends to benefit when global football audiences are at their peak.
Interestingly, there is no dedicated England national team fan token currently available on the market. That’s a notable gap, considering England are one of the tournament’s most-watched teams and are now among the final eight.
