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Sports2026 World Cup total attendance surpasses combined 2018 and 2022 editions
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, has set a new attendance record. With four matches remaining, the tournament has drawn 6,527,410 spectators across 100 matches, surpassing the combined total of 6,436,020 from the 2018 and 2022 editions. The average attendance is 65,274 per match, below the 1994 record of 68,991. Mexico City's Azteca Stadium led with five sell-out crowds of 80,824 each. On June 25, the tournament broke the single-edition attendance record of 3,587,538 set in 1994. The semi-finals feature France vs. Spain and England vs. Argentina.
Source report
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, has already set a new attendance milestone. With 6,527,410 spectators having passed through stadium turnstiles, the tournament has surpassed the combined total attendance of the previous two editions in Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022).
Key Attendance Figures
- Current total attendance: 6,527,410
- 2018 World Cup (Russia): 3,031,768
- 2022 World Cup (Qatar): 3,404,252
- Combined total (2018 + 2022): 6,436,020
This record has been achieved with four matches still remaining in the competition. The final is scheduled for July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Notably, the 100 matches played over the past four weeks have drawn more spectators than the 128 matches played across both previous tournaments combined (64 matches each).
Largest Crowds
The best-attended matches have been those held at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, all five of which recorded a capacity crowd of 80,824 spectators, according to FIFA's official accounting:
- Mexico vs. South Africa (Group A) — 2-0 win
- Mexico vs. Czech Republic (Group A) — 3-0 win
- Mexico vs. Ecuador (Round of 32) — 2-0 win
- Mexico vs. England (Round of 16) — 3-2 loss (ending a 13-year unbeaten streak at Azteca)
- Colombia vs. Uzbekistan (Group K) — 3-1 win
Record-Breaking Milestone
On June 25, after 56 matches and 15 days of competition, the 2026 World Cup broke the single-edition attendance record, with 3,605,357 spectators. This surpassed the 3,587,538 who attended the 52 matches of the 1994 World Cup, hosted solely by the United States.
Average Attendance
The current edition has an average of 65,274 spectators per match. This remains below the record average of 68,991 set in 1994, when the tournament featured 24 teams.
Historical Context
The podium of best-attended World Cups is now:
- 2026 — 6,527,410 (and counting)
- 1994 — 3,587,538
- 2014 (Brazil) — 3,429,873 (average of 53,592)
Upcoming Matches
The 2026 World Cup continues on Tuesday with the first semi-final in Arlington:
- France (champion in 1998 and 2018; runner-up in 2022) vs. Spain (champion in 2010; current European champion; eliminated Portugal 1-0 in the Round of 16)
The following day in Atlanta:
- England (champion in 1966; runner-up in the last two European Championships) vs. Argentina (three-time world champion: 1978, 1986, and 2022; two-time South American champion)
Source
RecordWestern
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2026 FIFA World Cup Breaks All-Time Attendance Record