Egypt and Morocco are the only African teams heading to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For crypto markets, the real story is what’s happening in the background: fan token volumes are spiking, Kraken is running Bitcoin-prize trading contests as FIFA’s official crypto partner, and Chiliz is quietly benefiting from every dramatic penalty kick.

The tournament, hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, is the largest World Cup ever staged. With 48 teams and 104 matches, it’s a content machine. And for the first time, a crypto exchange sits at the center of FIFA’s commercial ecosystem.

Two teams, two different paths forward

Egypt’s route to the Round of 16 was anything but comfortable….