EAST RUTHERFORD (Kashmir English): The ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup has broken all-time attendance record in the tournament’s history, surpassing the 1994 record of nearly 3.6 million spectators, the world soccer governing body said.
The announcement came during the second half of Germany-Ecuador game in East Rutherford, NJ, as jumbotrons flashed with the new all-time high – 3,605,357 – to uproarious applause.
1994 attendance record
With over 40 matches yet to be played 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. Stadiums have been more than 99% full on average.
High ticket prices, along with President Trump administration’s 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.
