World Cup 2026 spotlight: Senegal’s 5-0 rout of Iraq highlights crypto’s absence from African football

Senegal demolished Iraq 5-0 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage match on June 26, with Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye putting the finishing touch on a commanding performance. His 82nd-minute right-footed strike from outside the box, set up by Pape Gueye, was the kind of goal highlight reels are made of.

The match itself

Senegal wasted no time establishing dominance. Habib Diarra opened the scoring in just the 4th minute, setting the tone for what would become a lopsided affair.

Iraq held on through the remainder of the first half, but Senegal’s attack proved relentless after the break. Ismaïla Sarr made it 2-0 in the 56th minute, and then Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye took over.

Gueye scored twice, in the 59th and 71st minutes, before turning provider for Ndiaye’s 82nd-minute closer. The 5-0 result significantly strengthened Senegal’s position in their group and their path toward the knockout rounds.

The crypto angle that isn’t there

During the 2022 World Cup cycle, fan tokens were everywhere. Socios partnerships, national team token launches, and blockchain-based ticketing pilots dominated the sports-crypto narrative. Companies like Chiliz built entire ecosystems around the idea that major football tournaments would be crypto’s mainstream gateway.

Fast forward to 2026, and the Senegal national team has no fan token. No crypto sponsorship deals. No blockchain initiatives of any kind tied to the squad or its players.

That’s not unique to Senegal. It reflects a broader cooling between crypto brands and international football, particularly among African federations. Traditional sponsors like Puma continue to hold the primary commercial relationships with these teams.

What this means for crypto investors

During the last bull run, sports sponsorships were a go-to customer acquisition strategy for exchanges and token projects. FTX had naming rights to an NBA arena. Crypto.com slapped its name on the Staples Center. Fan token platforms promised that every major club and national team would eventually launch one.

The current landscape looks different. Exchanges that survived the 2022-2023 shakeout have become more conservative with sponsorship spending. Fan token trading volumes have cratered from their peaks. And football federations, particularly in regions like West Africa, appear to have moved on from exploratory crypto conversations.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.