Switzerland and Colombia met at BC Place in Vancouver on July 7 for the final round-of-16 match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with a quarterfinal date against defending champions Argentina waiting on the other side. Both teams entered the knockout stage unbeaten. The match itself went scoreless through 90 minutes before heading to extra time.
Crypto’s first World Cup moment
Kraken was announced as FIFA’s Official Crypto Exchange Supporter on June 9, 2026. That’s not a sidebar deal or a logo on a training bib. It’s a pioneering sponsorship category that didn’t exist before this tournament.
The partnership includes fan engagement initiatives, a trading competition offering Bitcoin as prizes, and promotional giveaways tied to the tournament experience. Kraken is using the biggest sporting event on the planet to put crypto in front of roughly five billion cumulative viewers.
What it doesn’t include is an official FIFA-issued token. No “FIFACoin,” no World Cup NFT collection blessed by the governing body. FIFA is happy to take a crypto sponsor’s money and let them run activations. It’s not yet ready to put its own brand on a digital asset.
