[Digital Today reporter Hyunwoo Choo] The crypto industry has not entered the top tier of official sponsors for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but is broadening its influence across the tournament through national team sponsorships, prediction markets, fan promotions and FIFA’s own blockchain business.

BeInCrypto, a blockchain outlet, reported on May 27 that none of FIFA’s 7 global partners and 8 official sponsors for the 2026 tournament are crypto companies. Sponsorship competition has instead shifted to national football associations. Argentina stands out most.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has signed a series of regional agreements with crypto and fintech firms. LBank signed a multi-year deal in September 2025 to become a regional sponsor of Argentina’s national team and also offered a $100 million prize pool. In March 2026, Ant International joined as an official sponsor for the Asia region. In April, Nexo was named an official regional digital asset partner, while BTCC, ATFX and Deepcoin also secured regional partner status. Socios.com maintains exclusive issuer status for the $ARG fan token.

Crypto-related business directly tied to FIFA has also emerged in prediction markets. FIFA named ADI PredictStreet as the official prediction-market partner for the 2026 World Cup. It is the first time FIFA has had a global partner in the prediction-market segment. ADI PredictStreet operates on institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure on the ADI Chain. Polymarket and Kalshi are also continuing to compete over contracts on the World Cup winner without FIFA rights.

Fan acquisition events are also expanding. Nexo introduced a global giveaway offering Argentina’s FIFA World Cup match tickets and signed national team jerseys. Deepcoin is running its "Champion Glory" campaign, with signed memorabilia, limited-edition products, chances to attend matches and offline fan viewing events.

Crypto.com, through a Visa card promotion, offered some users in Europe and Australia Category 1 match tickets, five nights of accommodation and transport on match day. The Trump Coin ecosystem also promoted a three-day VIP program for the top 19 on its leaderboard, including a dedicated suite for the World Cup final in New Jersey.

FIFA is also expanding its own blockchain business. FIFA announced in May 2025 a plan to develop a dedicated blockchain network based on Avalanche. The network is a custom Layer 1 for digital collectibles and global fan engagement. FIFA Collect has also migrated to the new chain. FIFA President Gianni Infantino (잔니 인판티노) mentioned the idea of a "FIFA coin" or "FIFA token" at the White House Crypto Summit in March 2025 and at the Mar-a-Lago World Liberty Forum in February 2026.

At this World Cup, crypto companies have not made FIFA’s top-tier sponsorship list, but their points of contact have broadened through national team sponsorships, prediction markets, fan engagement services and in-house blockchains. The report suggests the competition is shifting toward securing fan touchpoints and digital infrastructure rather than official sponsor status.