England beats Croatia 4-2 as FIFA’s Kraken partnership puts crypto front and center at World Cup 2026

England opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a convincing 4-2 victory over Croatia on June 17, and the match wasn’t the only thing making noise in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. FIFA’s ongoing partnership with Kraken, the cryptocurrency exchange, continues to position digital assets squarely in front of football’s global audience.

How the match unfolded

Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute. He doubled his tally in the 42nd minute, heading into halftime with a brace.

Bellingham scored at the 47th minute mark, just two minutes after the restart.

The finishing touch came in the 85th minute. Bukayo Saka assisted Marcus Rashford, who slotted home to make it 4-2.

Kraken, FIFA, and the crypto-football pipeline

FIFA’s partnership with Kraken represents one of the most visible intersections of cryptocurrency and mainstream global entertainment, with the exchange’s branding woven into the fabric of the World Cup experience.

The darker side of football and crypto

Rashford’s name has previously been exploited in fake Bitcoin trading advertisements, the kind of scam operation that uses celebrity likenesses without permission to lure unsuspecting retail investors into dubious platforms.

There has also been a low-volume meme token that referenced Rashford’s temporary loan spell at Barcelona. It failed to generate meaningful market traction.

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