Kylian Mbappé boasts 14 World Cup goals, surpassing Pelé and Messi. Yet, he ranks Lionel Messi higher in football's hierarchy, expressing faith in Messi to shine during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Frenchman's accolades don’t overshadow the still-revered stature of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he regards as benchmarks in the sport.
Kraken’s sponsorship has catapulted crypto visibility in football, with surges in fan tokens correlated to performances of revered players like Messi and Mbappé. Messi’s deal with Socios.com, valued at $20 million, often spikes fan token trading during pivotal tournaments.
Mbappé's role as an ambassador for Sorare, an NFT and fantasy football platform, triggered a massive 795% surge in NFT sales upon his announcement in July 2022.
Despite the explosive activity surrounding trading, no official player-specific tokens for the 2026 World Cup have been launched. The landscape is dominated by unofficial tokens that lack athlete endorsement but capitalizes on the event's fandom and commercial synergy clearly seen in these partnerships.