Kraken backs World Cup 2026 as 180,000 resale tickets hit market

Kraken announced it has become the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The tournament runs for seven weeks beginning June 11 across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States and is projected to reach up to six billion viewers worldwide.

The San Francisco-based exchange said it will run fan activations, product experiences and crypto education during the event. Kraken plans a multi-city Countdown Concert on June 10 and on-site promotions aimed at fans in North America and Europe.

Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi described the partnership: “Football has always crossed borders. So does crypto. For most of history, the best markets were open only to the few. The FIFA World Cup 2026 is where we show everyone else what they’ve been missing: an open, borderless financial system that anyone can join with a phone in their pocket.” The company already holds sports partnerships with Tottenham Hotspur, Atlético de Madrid, RB Leipzig and Williams Racing and works with football figures including Fabrizio Romano and Lukas Podolski.

Almost 180,000 tickets appeared on resale platforms in the days before the opening match. Median prices on FIFA’s official resale site have fallen about 20% over the past month. Some group-stage seats are listed below face value. Observers point to higher face values for 2026 compared with Qatar 2022 as a factor in the pricing shift.

Attorneys general in New York and New Jersey have opened probes into FIFA’s ticket-pricing practices. Separately, the UK Financial Conduct Authority issued a notice to teams about crypto partnerships in the run-up to the tournament.

Kraken’s agreement is at the supporter level rather than among FIFA’s primary sponsors; no crypto company appears on the core sponsor list for 2026. Supporter-level deals grant access to fan events, on-site branding and promotional opportunities without top-tier sponsor status.

Kraken disclosed an IPO filing that valued the company at $13.3 billion. The company has stated the partnership aims to raise crypto awareness and drive adoption among football fans across North America and Europe.

The expanded 48-team format and 16-city host footprint increase the scale of marketing opportunities and add complexity to ticket distribution and stadium attendance during the tournament.