The first phase of the World Cup saw record attendance.
According to a FIFA report, 4,644,549 people attended the first 72 matches of the tournament, while the FIFA 2026 Fan Festival has attracted 5.5 million fans to date.
The group stage of the 2026 World Cup was held for the first time in history with 48 teams participating across three countries (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico). Over 17 days, 72 matches were played in 16 cities, featuring 1,248 players representing 48 countries.
In addition to a record attendance, a record for hot dog consumption was also set, as fans at the stadiums ate more than 300,000! As FIFA’s press release notably points out, if all those hot dogs were lined up end to end, they would stretch for about 45 kilometers.
*photo source: AP