The 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico, has reached its semifinal stage. And while Erling Haaland’s seven goals in four matches made him the tournament’s breakout star before Norway’s quarterfinal exit, the real story for crypto watchers is what happens when the world’s biggest sporting event collides with an industry that’s been quietly building sports-adjacent infrastructure for years.
France faces Spain on July 14 in one semifinal, with England taking on Argentina in the other.
The fan token factor
Major football clubs and national federations have been issuing fan tokens since the early 2020s, primarily through platforms like Chiliz and its Socios.com marketplace.
This tournament is different in scale. The 2026 World Cup is the first held with 48 teams, the first spread across three countries, and the first played almost entirely in US stadiums.
