The 2026 World Cup’s crypto silence speaks volumes as major sporting events skip digital asset tie-ins

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is well underway across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois has conceded goals through the group stage. And crypto’s presence at the biggest sporting event on the planet? Essentially nonexistent.

That last part is the story worth paying attention to.

The World Cup is here, crypto is not

Courtois, Real Madrid’s towering goalkeeper, has been Belgium’s starter through the group stage. Belgium opened with a 1-1 draw against Egypt on June 15, then ground out a 0-0 result against Iran on June 21.

The 34-year-old was named to Belgium’s World Cup squad back in May 2026. Courtois has conceded only 1 goal across his initial World Cup appearances.

Rewind to 2022. The Qatar World Cup was awash in crypto sponsorships. Crypto.com had its logo plastered across the tournament. Fan tokens from Socios were marketed aggressively. FIFA itself launched an NFT platform. Algorand signed on as an official blockchain partner.

Fast forward four years, and the conversation around the 2026 World Cup’s biggest storylines, including Courtois’s defensive performances, carries zero crypto mentions. No fan token promotions tied to Belgium’s matches. No blockchain-powered ticketing headlines. No NFT moments going viral.

What happened to crypto and sports

During the 2021-2022 bull market, crypto companies spent aggressively on sports partnerships. Then FTX collapsed. Its naming rights deal with the Miami Heat’s arena became an overnight punchline. Crypto.com’s high-profile sponsorships started looking less like savvy marketing and more like expensive liabilities. Fan tokens, which let holders vote on trivial team decisions like warm-up playlist songs, lost most of their value.

Sports organizations got burned by association, and many have been cautious about re-engaging with crypto sponsors. Athletes who promoted tokens and platforms faced lawsuits and reputational damage.

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