MUNICH, June 29: The 2026 World Cup’s group stage of 72 games played in Canada, Mexico and the United States, attracted 4.644.549 fans, a million more than the 3.587.538 who watched at the 1994 event held in the United States, according to FIFA, the world’s football governing body.
The 1994 edition had only 24 teams and 52 matches in total that tournament.
The 215 goals scored this year are also a record for an average of three per game, FIFA said. The 2022 tournament, with 32 teams, had 179 goals in 64 games and an average of 2.8 per game.
The 48 teams used 999 players, and Canada captain Alphonso Davies became the 1,000th player at this tournament when he came on for his first appearance in their last 32 win over South Africa on Sunday.
Other numbers released by FIFA are 2.8 million beers and almost one million bottles of water sold in the stadiums, along with 300,000 hot dogs.
The official fanfests in the three host countries have attracted more than 5.5 million visitors who consumed more than two million alcoholic drinks and almost two million soft drinks.
–BERNAMA-dpa