The stadiums have ​been more than 99 per cent full on average at FIFA World Cup 2026. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The 2026 FIFA World ​Cup on Thursday became the best-attended ‌in the tournament’s history, surpassing ​the 1994 record ⁠of nearly 3.6 million spectators, FIFA said.

The announcement came during the second ‌half of Germany’s match against Ecuador in East Rutherford, ‌NJ, as jumbotrons flashed with ‌the ⁠new all-time high - 3,605,357 - ⁠to uproarious applause.

With 48 matches remaining in the World Cup, total attendance could ​conceivably nearly ‌double the 1994 record, which came during an era in which the World Cup contained only ‌52 matches.

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Stadiums have ​been more than 99% full on average.

Well-documented high ticket ⁠prices, along with President Donald Trump’s administration travel restrictions on certain ‌nations, mean there may be many people who wished to be at the tournament but could not attend, said economist Victor Matheson, a sports ‌business expert at the College of ​the Holy Cross.

But there were plenty of fans ready ⁠to take their spots. “Americans ... want to ⁠be there for the big moments,” said Dan Rascher, ‌a sports economics expert at the University of San Francisco.

Published on Jun 26, 2026