England nearly watched their World Cup dreams unravel in Atlanta. After falling behind to DR Congo in the 7th minute, the Three Lions clawed back with two late goals from Harry Kane to win 2-1 in the Round of 32 on July 1, 2026.

The match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was supposed to be a formality for one of the tournament favorites. DR Congo had other ideas.

A historic night for DR Congo, a nervous one for England

Brian Cipenga gave DR Congo the lead just seven minutes into the match, a goal that carried enormous historical weight. It was the first knockout-stage goal in DR Congo’s World Cup history, a milestone for a nation making waves in the expanded 48-team tournament format.

Harry Kane equalized in the 75th minute, then struck again in the 86th minute to complete the comeback and send DR Congo home.

The crypto angle: prediction markets and Kraken’s big FIFA bet

Kraken was announced as FIFA’s Official Crypto Exchange Supporter on June 9, 2026, a partnership that puts cryptocurrency branding in front of billions of viewers worldwide.

Beyond sponsorships, an estimated $2 billion in activity is flowing through prediction markets tied to the 2026 World Cup, a figure that reflects both the tournament’s unprecedented scale and the maturation of blockchain-based betting platforms.

What this means for investors watching the crypto-sports intersection

The 48-team format has created more matches, more eyeballs, and more commercial surface area than any previous World Cup. Kraken’s FIFA deal gives the exchange logo placement, digital integration, and association with the world’s most-watched sporting event.

Around $2 billion in estimated prediction market volume suggests that decentralized prediction platforms have found genuine product-market fit in sports.