Harry Kane scored twice in the final 21 minutes to drag England past the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1 in the World Cup round of 32. And for the first time in FIFA history, a crypto exchange had an official seat at the table while it happened.

Kraken became FIFA’s Official Crypto Exchange Supporter on June 9, 2026, making it the first partnership of its kind between the global football governing body and a cryptocurrency platform. The exchange’s branding is now woven into the tournament infrastructure across North America and Europe.

The match that almost wasn’t

England, one of the tournament favorites, spent most of the match trailing DR Congo. Then Kane happened. His equalizer and winner came in a 21-minute span that flipped the entire complexion of the match and sent England through to the round of 16.

Kane’s brace also matched a historic World Cup scoring record, cementing his status as one of the most prolific strikers in tournament history.

Crypto’s World Cup moment

Kraken’s deal with FIFA is designed to enhance fan engagement and promote the adoption of digital assets, specifically targeting audiences across North America and Europe.

Fan tokens associated with England players, including Kane, have already seen trading activity linked to the tournament’s progression. Major international competitions tend to amplify volatility in these assets.

Sorare NFT cards featuring Kane have been minted and traded as part of the broader football digital collectibles market.

What this means for crypto investors

For the fan token ecosystem specifically, the World Cup creates a concentrated window of heightened attention. These tokens tend to see notable volatility around key matches.

Crypto-enabled betting platforms are also part of this story. Bitcoin is being accepted on betting platforms for World Cup matches, with heavy odds favoring teams like England.