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Canada gears up to co-host the 2026 World Cup as crypto eyes soccer’s biggest stage
The expanded 48-team tournament brings historic opportunity for Canadian soccer, while crypto brands like Kraken position themselves around FIFA's flagship event.
Canada’s men’s national soccer team just named its 26-player squad for a World Cup it will co-host.
The CANMNT unveiled its roster on May 29 in a live broadcast across TSN and CTV, with head coach Jesse Marsch finalizing his selections for a tournament that begins June 11. Canada’s opening match is set for June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The squad and the system
Marsch, who took the reins in 2024, has built his tactical identity around a high-pressing 4-4-2 formation.
The star of the roster is Alphonso Davies, the Bayern Munich fullback whose pace and creativity make him one of the most dangerous wide players in world soccer.
Defender Moise Bombito is a notable absence from the 26-man squad due to injury, leaving a gap in the backline that Marsch will need to cover with depth options.
Canada sits in Group B alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, and Switzerland.
Before the tournament proper, Canada has two friendlies serving as final tune-ups: Uzbekistan on June 1 and the Republic of Ireland on June 5.
A bigger tournament, a bigger platform
The 2026 edition features 48 teams, up from 32, making it the largest FIFA tournament ever staged. The expanded format runs from June 11 through July 19, co-hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Where crypto fits into the picture
Kraken was named FIFA’s official crypto exchange partner for the tournament on June 9, securing the kind of marquee sponsorship placement that puts the brand in front of billions of viewers worldwide.
Canada Soccer’s official partners page lists no blockchain or token partnerships. Zero fan tokens. No NFT initiatives. No crypto exchange tie-ups at the national team level.
Fan tokens have become a significant revenue stream for major European clubs. Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and Juventus have all launched tokens through platforms like Socios, giving holders voting rights on minor club decisions and access to exclusive content.
FTX’s spectacular collapse came less than a year after it plastered its name across the Miami Heat’s arena.