Kraken's FIFA World Cup sponsorship revives crypto-sports deals post-FTX. USMNT trains at full strength but lacks a fan token – a gap Chiliz and Solana tokens may target.
Kraken became the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 9, inking a sponsorship deal that puts crypto back on the biggest sports stage three years after FTX's collapse cratered trust in exchange partnerships.
The tournament kicks off June 11 with an expanded 48-team format across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Three days before the opening match, the USMNT held its first full-strength training session at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Irvine, California, with 5,500 fans in attendance.
FTX plastered its name on a Miami arena. Crypto.com bought naming rights in Los Angeles. Most of those deals were signed during the 2021-2022 euphoria. A few of them soured quickly after the market turned. Kraken's FIFA partnership stands apart in one critical respect: the exchange is still operating and still signing deals in what feels like a more measured cycle.
One gap stands out. The USMNT does not have a dedicated fan token. No blockchain-based engagement tool, no direct crypto sponsorship tied to its World Cup campaign.
Chiliz, the company behind the Socios platform, has built a whole ecosystem around fan tokens for clubs like PSG and Barcelona. Holders of club-specific tokens can vote on minor decisions and access exclusive content. Mostly they speculate on price. Chiliz-linked tokens tend to see heightened trading around major match days. The 2026 World Cup, with its 48-team format and matches spread across three countries, offers more of those catalytic moments than any prior tournament.
Beyond established platforms like Chiliz, a broader crypto landscape is forming around the World Cup. Solana-based national team tokens have begun appearing, riding the same speculative wave that produces a new dog-themed coin every week.
The 48-team format means more games and broadcasts, more sponsor mentions, more potential catalysts for token volatility over a longer window. The opening match on June 11 will offer the first concrete data point on whether this wave of crypto-sports partnerships translates into measurable market activity.
Prepared with AlphaScala editorial tooling from the source reporting linked above. Indexable analysis may include a cited Alpha Score value. Publishing checks screen each story before release. Educational coverage, not personalized advice.