Japan pulled off one of the early storylines of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, clawing back from a two-goal deficit to draw the Netherlands 2-2 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Group F opener on June 14 featured a dramatic 88th-minute equalizer from Kamada, turning what looked like a comfortable Dutch victory into a statement result for Japanese football.

For crypto markets, the World Cup kickoff brought its own fireworks. Chiliz (CHZ) rallied 28% heading into the tournament’s opening weekend, and Kraken’s debut as FIFA’s Official Crypto Exchange Supporter marked a new chapter in the intersection of digital assets and global sports.

A match that rewrote its own script

The Netherlands looked firmly in control after van Dijk opened the scoring in the 51st minute and Summerville doubled the lead in the 64th. Japan had other plans. Nakamura pulled one back just seven minutes after van Dijk’s opener, making it 2-1 in the 57th minute. The Dutch held their nerve for another 30 minutes, but Kamada struck in the 88th to level the match.

The last time these two met at a World Cup was back in 2010, when the Netherlands won 1-0. Their most recent encounter before this tournament was a 2-2 friendly draw in 2013.

Crypto gets its World Cup moment

CHZ, the token powering the Chiliz blockchain and its Socios fan engagement platform, climbed 28% as World Cup excitement built. Platforms like Coinbase saw heightened activity around match outcomes and tournament totals. Avalanche-powered NFTs tied to the tournament added another layer of fan engagement to the mix.

What this means for investors

None of the four Group F teams—the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, or Tunisia—currently have dedicated fan tokens on major SportsFi platforms. CHZ has a history of spiking around major tournaments and then giving back gains in the weeks that follow.