The quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup are here, and there’s a parallel tournament playing out in the crypto markets. It involves fan tokens, digital collectibles, and the first official crypto exchange in FIFA history.
Kraken’s historic FIFA deal
On June 9, 2026, just two days before the tournament kicked off, Kraken was named FIFA’s first Official Crypto Exchange Supporter. That’s not a sponsorship category that existed before. FIFA created it for this tournament.
The World Cup itself runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, featuring an expanded 48-team format spread across 16 venues in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The quarter-finals land in mid-July, right at the peak of global viewership.
The exchange is running promotional campaigns tied to match progression, including referral contests where participants can win tickets to the final.
