FIFA Celebrates Records After World Cup Group Stage

Following the conclusion of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has drawn a first interim summary. The focus is on the new attendance record, which has already surpassed the figures of previous tournaments.

After the expansion to 48 participating nations and a total of 104 tournament matches, it was already clear before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup that a new attendance record would be set. In the group stage alone, 72 matches were played — more than had ever been held at an entire World Cup finals tournament before (64 matches). The new record was set during the match between Germany and Ecuador at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. A look at the attendance figures and selected additional statistics.