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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now the most-attended sporting event in the tournament’s history, and it’s not even close. With 4,644,549 spectators registered during the group stage alone, the tri-hosted event across the US, Mexico, and Canada has already blown past the previous record set during the 1994 World Cup, which drew roughly 3.5 million across its entire run.
The US has claimed the highest combined host-nation attendance in World Cup history, crossing the 8 million mark. A single-day peak of 426,834 fans showed up on the tournament’s busiest matchday.
Crypto gets a front-row seat
Kraken became FIFA’s first official crypto exchange partner on June 9, 2026. The deal is designed to drive crypto adoption through fan engagement initiatives, essentially turning the world’s most-watched sporting event into a funnel for digital asset awareness.
FIFA has built out a blockchain strategy centered on digital collectibles powered by Avalanche. The platform is EVM-compatible and offers features like Right-to-Tickets access for fans.
Tourism boom meets macro uncertainty
Projected ticket and hospitality revenues were estimated to exceed $3 billion heading into the tournament. Earlier predictions suggested that international visitation might fall short due to stringent travel policies and rising costs.
What this means for crypto investors
FIFA isn’t just accepting a sponsorship check from a crypto company. It’s actively building blockchain infrastructure into the fan experience through Avalanche. For Avalanche specifically, being the blockchain backbone of FIFA’s digital collectibles platform is the kind of real-world use case that network advocates have been clamoring for. As the sole official crypto exchange partner, Kraken gains exclusive branding rights in front of the largest live audience in sports history.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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