The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached the semi-final stage, and the action on the pitch is spilling directly into crypto markets. National team fan tokens are surging, a major exchange just landed its first-ever World Cup sponsorship, and a token burn mechanism is literally destroying supply every time a team wins.

England’s 2-1 victory over Norway on July 12 to advance to the semi-finals triggered a 7.5% burn of treasury-held national fan tokens under Chiliz’s “Burn to Glory” campaign, yanking supply out of circulation at precisely the moment demand was climbing.

How crypto became a World Cup contender

On June 9, Kraken was appointed as the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026,…