ARLINGTON, TX — There's a new all-time attendance record at the World Cup already in 2026, thanks to an expanded bracket and some of the largest venues in the world.
The record for total attendance for a single World Cup was broken on Thursday, June 25, with 3,605,357 fans — and growing — so far. That breaks the previous attendance record of 3,587,538 fans set at the 1994 World Cup, which also was held in the United States.
Stadiums have also had a 99.7% occupancy rate so far, which is on pace to break another record, according to FIFA,
With the attendance record already broken, the final total will demolish the old record. The expanded bracket to 48 teams in 2026 results in 104 total games, which is 40 more than the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The World Cup already set its all-time attendance mark for a single day of games on June 16, when 281,223 fans attended four games — France vs. Senegal, Irag vs. Norway, Argentina vs. Algeria, and Austria vs. Jordan.
World Cup attendance record
The overall World Cup attendance record was set on June 25 after Ecuador's 2-1 win over Germany at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The game set the 2026 World Cup attendance at 3,605,357 fans so far, before the group stage is even complete.
The 2026 World Cup is the biggest in the tournament's history, especially with the bracket expanding to 48 teams. The previous record of 3,587,538 total fans set at the 1994 World Cup, also held in the United States, will be shattered when the final total comes in after a champion is crowned.
Source: USA Today
