Kraken’s FIFA World Cup moment arrives as Round of 16 kicks off and fan tokens find their footing

The 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 began on July 4, with France edging Paraguay 1-0 and Morocco dismantling Canada 3-0. But the real story for crypto watchers isn’t what’s happening on the pitch. It’s what’s happening around it.

Kraken, which was named FIFA’s first-ever Official Crypto Exchange Supporter back on June 9, is now operating at the center of the biggest sporting event in human history. With 48 teams spread across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, this is the largest World Cup ever staged. And for the first time, a cryptocurrency exchange has a seat at the table.

The crypto play behind the beautiful game

The partnership has already spawned several fan engagement initiatives. Kraken has been running ticket giveaways and contests tied to a special promotional code, FWC26, designed to pull football fans into the crypto ecosystem.

The Round of 16 matches are scheduled to run two per day from July 4 through July 7. After France and Morocco advanced on the opening day, the July 5 slate features Brazil vs. Norway and Mexico vs. England.

Fan tokens are surging in volume, just not in price

Chiliz, the blockchain ecosystem that powers national-team fan tokens, has seen a noticeable uptick in trading activity during the tournament. That’s the good news. The less good news is that CHZ, the native token underpinning the whole fan token infrastructure, has dropped approximately 47% over the past 30 days.

No significant price surges for CHZ have materialized despite the tournament buzz.

Meanwhile, unofficial meme tokens themed around the event have also gained traction. A token literally called FWC26, named after the tournament’s promotional code, is actively trading.

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