Kraken Scores FIFA Crypto Sponsor Slot Two Days Before Kickoff ⚽

Kraken has been named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the exchange and FIFA announced Tuesday, two days before the tournament's opening match in Mexico City. Financial terms of the sponsorship were not disclosed. The agreement runs the length of the seven-week competition, scheduled from June 11 through July 19, and covers 104 matches across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States — the first World Cup to feature 48 teams. FIFA projects a cumulative global audience of more than 6 billion for the event.

"Football has always crossed borders. So does crypto," said Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi in a statement. "For most of history, the best markets were open only to the few. The FIFA World Cup 2026 is where we show everyone else what they've been missing: an open, borderless financial system that anyone can join with a phone in their pocket. This isn't a future concept. It's here." FIFA Chief Business Officer Romy Gai added that "innovation has always played a central role in how FIFA evolves and enhances the fan experience," and said the organization is "delighted to partner with Kraken."

Kraken, founded in 2011 and based in San Francisco, said it operates in more than 190 countries and will roll out "fan-focused product experiences" across North America and Europe during the tournament, beginning Wednesday with a multi-country, multi-city countdown concert on the eve of the opening match. The deal extends Kraken's existing sports sponsorship portfolio, which already includes Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, Atlético de Madrid, RB Leipzig and the Atlassian Williams Racing Formula 1 team, and places the exchange alongside long-standing FIFA partners such as Adidas, Coca-Cola, Visa and Hyundai-Kia.

The agreement comes as crypto-related sports marketing has shifted toward a more measured approach following the 2022 collapse of FTX and the broader market downturn. Coinbase aired its first Super Bowl commercial since 2022 during this year's broadcast, and Crypto.com used the event to launch its AI-focused platform, ai.com. Prediction markets, meanwhile, have expanded into major professional sports: Polymarket became the official prediction market partner of UFC and Zuffa Boxing in November 2025, signed a multiyear exclusive deal with Major League Soccer in January, and in March was named Major League Baseball's official prediction market exchange under a separate integrity agreement with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

FIFA's commercial roster for the 2026 tournament also includes ADI Predictstreet, a blockchain-based prediction market platform backed by Abu Dhabi institutions and built on the ADI Chain network focused on the Middle East/South Africa (MENA) market. FIFA named ADI Predictstreet its first official prediction market partner under a multi-year agreement announced in April, covering match outcomes, tournament statistics, standout players and key moments across the expanded 48-team competition.