Lionel Messi has become the all-time leading World Cup goal scorer, netting a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match to surpass Miroslav Klose’s record.
Kylian Mbappé responded with braces in France’s first two fixtures, bringing his career World Cup tally to 16 goals.
Off the pitch, the tournament is fueling a surge in fan tokens. Kraken, FIFA’s official crypto exchange partner for North America and Europe, is putting digital assets in front of a massive audience. Tokens tied to national teams-like $ARG for Argentina and $POR for Portugal-are seeing spiking trading volumes on Chiliz’s blockchain platform. Belgium launched its own token, $BELG, just before kickoff.
Analysts project the fan-token market could grow from $3.8 billion to $18.6 billion by 2034, suggesting a structural shift rather than a fleeting trend.
However, unofficial meme coins such as $FWC26 on Solana carry no backing or utility and pose significant risks, potentially confusing the market if they crash.