The 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal between France and Spain on July 14 isn’t just one of the biggest football matches in years. It’s also a live commercial for crypto’s integration into mainstream sports, with Kraken serving as FIFA’s first-ever official crypto exchange partner and an Avalanche-based blockchain powering fan collectibles behind the scenes.

The match airs at 3 p.m. ET from AT&T Stadium in Dallas, available on FOX and Telemundo through DirecTV and DirecTV Stream, with mobile streaming options extending the audience well beyond living rooms.

Crypto’s World Cup debut, by the numbers

Kraken was announced as the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 9, 2026. That made it the first time in FIFA’s history that a crypto exchange held such a designation.

FIFA built a proprietary blockchain on Avalanche, the layer-1 network, to power a platform called FIFA Collect, with dynamic NFTs that evolve based on real-time outcomes.

FIFA Collect has attracted more than 85,000 unique blockchain addresses, with total sales activity surpassing $25 million.

Why Avalanche and Kraken stand to benefit

Kraken’s brand is reaching audiences in Latin America, Europe, and North America simultaneously through the tournament broadcast across FOX, Telemundo, and various streaming platforms. DirecTV’s sub-licensing deals have extended coverage broadly, with 40 matches broadcast in Peru through América TV alone, and streaming access available through YouTube in certain markets.

What this means for crypto investors

The $25 million in FIFA Collect sales is happening with football fans in dozens of countries interacting with blockchain technology, many for the first time. FIFA is onboarding tens of thousands of users onto Avalanche’s blockchain through FIFA Collect.

The metrics to track are unique wallet growth on FIFA Collect during knockout-stage matches, secondary market trading volumes for World Cup NFTs, and whether Kraken sees measurable user acquisition bumps in markets where tournament coverage is heaviest.