2026 World Cup surpasses 5 million fans in stadiums
The 2026 World Cup, hosted in North American countries, reached the impressive level of more than five million fans watching the matches directly from the stadiums. This historic milestone was recorded during the confrontation between France and Sweden, which took place in East Rutherford, near New York, as announced by FIFA last Tuesday (30), after the French team’s three-zero victory.
Football’s highest governing body, FIFA, issued an official statement highlighting that the 2026 World Cup “will make history” precisely in the round of 16 match between France and Sweden. In this game, the total number of spectators present in the stadiums would exceed five million, setting a new historical record for fan attendance at the stadiums.
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To date, the exact number of people who have watched the duels on stages in Mexico, the United States and Canada has reached 5,048,079 spectators. This total includes the 80,663 present at the MetLife Stadium, where the French team secured their qualification for the round of 16 of the championship.
The old attendance record for a World Cup had been set in 1994, when 3,587,538 fans attended stadiums in the United States. It is important to note, however, that the current edition of the tournament presents a significant expansion, with twice as many participating teams (48) compared to the competition 32 years ago, and the number of matches has also been doubled, totaling 104 clashes. This structural change directly impacts the possibility of new records.
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Disregarding the last match, the matches played so far in this championship have recorded an impressive average of 64,511 spectators per game. The stadium occupancy rate, according to the data, reached 99.7%, a remarkable feat especially considering the discussion and controversy over the high ticket prices that preceded the start of the dispute.
The entity responsible for global football also reported that 27 duels remain to be played in the tournament schedule. Among the games that have already taken place, those with the largest attendance were Uzbekistan against Colombia, Mexico against South Africa and the Czech Republic versus Mexico.
All of these prominent matches were played at the Azteca Stadium, located in Mexico City, an arena with capacity for 80,824 people. Even before the competition kicked off, FIFA president Gianni Infantino had expressed the expectation that the total audience would surpass the seven million fan mark.
