Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick on June 17 during Argentina’s World Cup opener against Algeria, tying the all-time World Cup goals record in what might be his final major international tournament.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has become a collision point between global football and the crypto economy, with fan tokens surging, prediction markets processing billions in volume, and Kraken stepping in as FIFA’s first Official Crypto Exchange Supporter.

The Golden Boot race and why crypto cares

Three names sit atop the Golden Boot conversation: Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Erling Haaland. Mbappe is the bookmakers’ favorite, with odds hovering around +600 to +650 as of mid-June. Haaland trails at roughly +1300 to…