2026 World Cup attendance record broken before group stage ends | OneFootball

FIFA announced on Thursday that the 2026 World Cup has already broken the tournament’s all-time attendance record, with more than 3.6 million spectators before the group stage has finished.

The milestone was revealed during the second half of Germany’s 1-2 defeat by Ecuador in East Rutherford, New Jersey, when giant screens displayed a new high of 3,605,357, drawing an ovation from the crowd.

The 2026 edition is now the most attended in the competition’s history, surpassing the 1994 mark of nearly 3.6 million.

With 44 matches still to play, the total could, in theory, almost double the 1994 benchmark. That tournament had 52 games, compared with 104 now.

Average stadium occupancy stands above 99%.

Source: L'Équipe