Pochettino’s World Cup run with USMNT draws crypto sponsorship interest from Kraken and Chiliz

Mauricio Pochettino has officially become the most successful coach in US men’s national team World Cup history. Three wins from three group-stage and knockout matches at the 2026 tournament on home soil will do that.

But the real story for crypto markets isn’t just about goals scored. It’s about the growing queue of digital asset companies, including Kraken and Chiliz, eyeing the USMNT’s surging profile as a sponsorship vehicle.

The on-field record that’s attracting off-field money

Pochettino, appointed on September 10, 2024, as Gregg Berhalter’s successor, wasted no time reshaping the team’s identity. His first official match was a 2-0 friendly win over Panama on October 12, 2024.

The USMNT opened with a 4-1 demolition of Paraguay, followed by a 2-0 win over Australia, and then a 2-0 shutout of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Three wins, eight goals scored, one conceded. No previous US coach had strung together this kind of World Cup run. Bruce Arena, who guided the team to the 2002 quarterfinals, held the previous benchmark.

US Soccer’s investment in Pochettino reflects how seriously the federation is treating this cycle. His annual salary is estimated at $6 million, placing him among the highest-paid national team coaches globally. Part of that financial commitment was backed by major donors, including hedge fund manager Ken Griffin.

Where crypto enters the picture

Exchanges like Kraken and fan engagement platform Chiliz are reportedly exploring partnership opportunities tied to the tournament’s momentum. Chiliz, which already operates the Socios.com platform powering fan tokens for clubs like Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, would be a natural fit for a tokenized fan experience around the USMNT.

Crypto.com paid $700 million to rename the Staples Center in Los Angeles. FTX slapped its name on the Miami Heat’s arena before its implosion. National team sponsorships during a home World Cup offer something club-level deals don’t: a unified national audience. The 2026 World Cup is being hosted across the US, Mexico, and Canada, with the bulk of matches on American soil.

No major token launches have been announced in direct conjunction with Pochettino’s appointment or the team’s World Cup campaign as of early July 2026. Chiliz’s existing technology could enable tokenized voting on things like man-of-the-match selections or exclusive digital collectibles tied to specific games, a model already proven at the club level in European football.

What this means for crypto investors

The CHZ token, which powers the Socios ecosystem, tends to see volume spikes around major tournaments. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar drove a measurable uptick in fan token trading activity across the platform.

For Kraken, a potential USMNT partnership would represent a more traditional exchange marketing play. The company has been steadily building its regulatory footprint in the US while competitors navigate enforcement actions.

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