Canada makes World Cup history as Kraken’s FIFA sponsorship puts crypto center stage

Canada just did something it has never done in the history of its football program. On June 28, the team beat South Africa 1-0 at the Los Angeles Stadium to win its first-ever knockout stage match at a FIFA World Cup.

The goal came in the most dramatic fashion possible. Stephen Eustáquio found the net during second-half stoppage time, sending the host nation into the Round of 16 for the first time.

The match and what comes next

The 2026 World Cup expanded to 48 teams this cycle, spread across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. That expansion introduced a new Round of 32 knockout stage following the group phase, meaning teams face an extra elimination match before reaching the Round of 16.

The reward for that win is a Round of 16 fixture scheduled for July 4 in Houston against either the Netherlands or Morocco.

Coach Jesse Marsch struck a candid tone after the match. He acknowledged disappointment over losing home-field advantage, since the team’s remaining games move to US venues, but also expressed pride in what the squad accomplished.

The knockout stage runs through July 19, with the final set for MetLife Stadium. Canada would need four more wins to lift the trophy.

Kraken and crypto’s World Cup moment

Kraken was named FIFA’s Official Crypto Exchange Supporter on June 9, 2026, making it the first crypto exchange to hold that distinction. The partnership is designed to enhance fan engagement across the tournament’s host cities.

Previous crypto sponsorship cycles were largely associated with the 2021-2022 bull market, and many of those deals aged poorly. FTX’s naming rights deal with the Miami Heat arena became a cautionary tale when the exchange collapsed in late 2022. Crypto.com’s $700M deal for the former Staples Center similarly drew skepticism as markets cooled.

Kraken’s FIFA deal arrives in a fundamentally different environment. The exchange has operated since 2011 without the kind of existential regulatory crises that consumed several competitors.

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