Why Could Crypto Markets Spike During the 2026 World Cup?
The World Cup is not only the most-watched sporting event on the planet, but it also has a huge impact on the national economy and creates unique opportunities in the stock and cryptocurrency markets.
Major sporting events have historically influenced markets, as they drive stock performance in specific sectors. Crypto markets are considered a high-volatility asset class that reacts to global events such as the World Cup.
Furthermore, fan tokens, which offer supporters the chance to interact with their favourite clubs and unlock ‘tokenised experiences’ such as access to behind-the-scenes content, can have dramatic price surges during the World Cup, as demand for interactive perksincreases.
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup held across the United States, Canada and Mexico, we’ll look in more depth at how this event could impact market movement and trading.
Ways in Which the World Cup Impacts Trading
During the World Cup, there is a boost to sectors such as travel and retail, which in turn impacts crypto markets through institutional money flows. For example, there may be an indirect adoption of payment tokens like XRP, which are used for cross-border transactions, and could have higher demand as international travel surges.
Furthermore, tech and media stocks may increase as a result of greater investments in advertising during the World Cup. This could then lead to increased trading activity in blockchain-based advertising tokens such as Basic Attention Token (BAT).
Traders who want to capitalise on this volatility around the World Cup hype often work with a CFD broker for global and crypto markets, which allows them to speculate on short-term price movements.
In terms of ‘fan tokens’, there has also been a value increase in digital currencies that are associated with sports. For example, Chiliz, a digital currency associated with sports, saw its value rise by around 25% ahead of the 2026 World Cup. In 2022, their token $CHZ saw its price rise by over 200% in the five months before the World Cup that year.
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This is due to it gaining traction from both investors and sports enthusiasts. Chiliz allows fans to engage with teams using blockchain technology. Their parent company also has a lot of partnerships with sports organisations that allow fans to earn rewards.
While tokens like this would be expected to have a spike during major sporting events, the future direction isn’t certain. Cryptocurrencies like this can be affected by an array of outside factors, such as technological advancements and regulatory changes.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 World Cup
Other notable news that traders should be aware of ahead of this year's World Cup is that FIFA have announced that they have expressed an interest in potentially launching a $FIFA coin, which could significantly impact the market. $CHZ spiked by 300% within the first hour of this announcement.
The World Cup is generally expected to drive significant economic activity in sectors such as tourism and media. Traders have been advised to monitor demand for the potential adoption of cryptocurrencies that facilitate international transactions, and digital asset markets that may be impacted because of this event.
