Five million fans attend FIFA World Cup 2026 as tournament sets historic attendance record

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has reached another historic milestone after surpassing five million spectators for the first time in the competition’s nearly 100-year history.

The landmark was achieved during France’s 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32 at the New York New Jersey Stadium, where a capacity crowd of 80,663 witnessed the reigning world champions progress to the next stage of the tournament.

France supporter Raphaël Noufele was officially recognised as the tournament’s five millionth fan. Ahead of kick-off, the 25-year-old received a giant ceremonial ticket from FIFA World Cup winners Youri Djorkaeff and Blaise Matuidi to commemorate the occasion.

France head coach Didier Deschamps also presented him with a jersey signed by current France star Désiré Doué.

Noufele, who grew up between Paris and New York City, described the experience as unforgettable.

“Pretty amazing. I’m still not realising it. When I get home tonight I’ll sit down and reflect but it’s been awesome, it’s been amazing,” he said.

Reflecting on the tournament’s growing popularity, he added: “I mean this tournament is really popular. It means everyone’s loving it. I think it’ll be even more in the future for sure. Soon 10 million, hopefully.”

Noufele attended matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and had also watched France defeat Senegal at the same venue during the group stage of this year’s tournament. His earliest World Cup memory dates back to France’s defeat to Italy in the 2006 final.

Former France midfielder Matuidi, who was part of the squad that lifted the World Cup in 2018 and now resides in the United States, praised the atmosphere surrounding the tournament.

“The atmosphere is amazing, you can see it all around the cities in the United States. This is the FIFA World Cup and we’re loving it,” Matuidi said.

“There are no other sports where there are so many vibes, such an atmosphere. We are very glad to be on the side of football and let’s continue.”

The attendance milestone highlights the unprecedented popularity of the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, with supporters continuing to fill stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico as the tournament enters its knockout phase.