Fourteen World Cup players seek clubs after tournament ends, as crypto enters FIFA’s orbit
Kraken becomes the first crypto exchange to sponsor the FIFA World Cup while contract-less players showcase the messy intersection of international football and digital finance.
Fourteen players competing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have no club waiting for them when the final whistle blows. Their contracts expired on June 30, and they are technically free agents representing their countries on the biggest stage in sports.
Among the names playing without a club deal: Casemiro, the 34-year-old Brazilian midfielder formerly of Manchester United, England defender John Stones, Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, and Croatian legend Luka Modrić.
FIFA’s $355 million fix and the registration workaround
FIFA anticipated this problem. The governing body pledged $355 million in compensation payments to clubs that release players for the tournament, mostly targeting those who will be free agents after June 30. FIFA also established special registration windows to keep things from becoming a logistical nightmare. The first opened from June 1 through June 10, 2025, allowing federations to lock in players whose club situations were still in flux.
Kraken steps into football’s biggest spotlight
On June 9, 2026, Kraken was named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026. That is the first time a crypto platform has held that specific sponsorship role at a World Cup. The partnership includes fan-facing activations, giveaways, and experiences designed to pull casual football viewers into the crypto ecosystem.
NFTs and prediction markets tied to the tournament have also seen increased engagement, according to the research.
What this means for crypto markets and investors
Fan tokens are the more direct market to watch. Historically, these tokens see price bumps during major tournaments as casual fans discover them and speculative traders pile in. Prediction markets built on blockchain infrastructure could see meaningful volume spikes. NFT platforms offering tournament-related collectibles will test whether the broader NFT market has recovered enough appetite for this kind of product.
If free agents like Salah or Stones sign with clubs that have existing fan token programs, those tokens could see short-term price movements driven by transfer news.