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Three of football’s heavyweights punched their tickets to the World Cup 2026 knockout round over a 48-hour stretch that delivered record-breaking goals, upset scares, and a fresh reminder that this tournament is as much a crypto event as a sporting one.
Argentina, France, and Norway all secured spots in the last 32 following group-stage victories on June 22-23, joining the USA, Mexico, and Germany among the teams already through.
Messi rewrites the record books, again
Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria on June 22 was, on paper, a routine win. In practice, it was a coronation.
Lionel Messi scored both goals, lifting his career World Cup tally to 18. That number matters because it surpasses Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record of 16 goals. Klose’s record was set across four World Cup tournaments spanning 2002 to 2014. Messi has now played in five, and at 39 years old, he scored both goals in a single match to break it.
A day later, France handled Iraq with clinical efficiency, winning 3-0 on June 23. Kylian Mbappé contributed a brace, and the result confirmed France’s place in the knockout rounds with a match to spare in group play.
Norway’s path was considerably less comfortable. Erling Haaland scored twice in a 3-2 win over Senegal, a match that required genuine effort rather than the procession France enjoyed.
Group I became the first group of the tournament to send two teams into the knockout stage, with both France and Norway advancing.
The crypto layer: fan tokens and FIFA’s blockchain push
Argentina’s $ARG fan token, hosted on the Chiliz platform, has been one of the more closely watched assets in the sports-crypto crossover space. FIFA itself has leaned into blockchain technology through initiatives built on the Avalanche network.
Kraken was named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the tournament around mid-June 2026. The exchange’s sponsorship places crypto branding in front of the largest global television audience outside the Olympics.
What this means for investors
Fan tokens are not equity. Owning $ARG doesn’t give you a stake in the Argentine Football Association. What it gives you is exposure to a volatile asset that moves on victories and viral moments. Messi breaking a World Cup record is precisely the kind of catalyst that can generate short-term spikes in trading volume.
For traders, tokens tied to remaining nations could see increased volume as the knockout rounds approach. A shocking group-stage exit can crater a fan token just as quickly as a record-breaking performance can inflate one.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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