The group stage of the 2026 World Cup has concluded, setting new records, both in the number of fans in stadiums and in the consumption of food and drinks during the tournament.
According to official figures released by FIFA, after 17 days and 72 matches, a full 4,644,549 fans closely followed the matches in 16 stadiums spread across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Stadiums almost full at every match
Attendance at the stadiums was almost maximum throughout the group stage.
FIFA announced that 99.7 percent of available seats were filled, while an average of 64,508 spectators were present at each match.
Also, fans from 210 countries and territories bought tickets for World Cup matches, breaking the previous record of 3.5 million spectators set at the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Another record was set on June 25, when 426,834 fans were present in the stadiums in one day. Meanwhile, eight matches have registered over 80,000 spectators.
Most requested matches
According to FIFA, among the matches with the highest demand for tickets was the Colombia-Portugal clash in Miami, which concluded the group stage.
The final on July 19th, as well as the Mexico – South Korea challenge in Guadalajara, have also aroused extraordinary interest.
The countries that bought the most tickets were the United States, Canada, Mexico, England, Germany, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Australia and France.
300 thousand hot dogs and 2.8 million beers
In addition to football, FIFA also published interesting statistics on stadium consumption.
During the group stage, 300,000 hot dogs were sold, which, according to FIFA, if placed one after the other, would cover about 45 kilometers, a distance similar to that between the New YorkâNew Jersey Stadium and JFK International Airport.
Fans also consumed more than 2.8 million beers, a figure that significantly exceeded the over 1 million bottles of water sold during this period.
Preferences varied by host country. In Canada, the top-selling products were beer and French fries.
In the United States, hot dogs were the most popular food. In Mexico, pizza with fries was the most popular food.
Best-selling jersey
In commercial terms, the Mexico national team jersey proved to be Adidas’ best-selling item during the group stage.
According to company data, sales related to the 2026 World Cup have already exceeded $1.13 billion, confirming once again the huge economic impact of the world’s most prestigious football tournament.
