The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first edition with 48 teams, concluded on July 19, 2026, with FIFA reporting record attendance and television viewership. The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, saw matches played across 16 cities.
According to FIFA, total stadium attendance exceeded 4.5 million, surpassing the previous record of 3.57 million set in 1994 in the United States. The average attendance per match was approximately 65,000, with several games selling out.
Television viewership also reached new heights, with the final match drawing an estimated global audience of 1.5 billion, according to FIFA. The organization described the numbers as "shattering previous records."
The expanded format, featuring 48 teams divided into 16 groups of three, led to 104 matches, up from 64 in previous tournaments. FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised the event as "the greatest World Cup ever."
