Nearly 44M fans attended 22 FIFA World cups

Nearly 44 million spectators have attended FIFA World Cup matches in the 22 editions held, according to figures compiled from tournament history.

A total of 43,936,730 fans have watched 964 matches at stadiums, with an average attendance of 45,577 per match.

The 1994 World Cup in the US remains the most attended tournament, drawing 3,587,538 spectators. The 52 matches played during that year were watched by an average of 68,991 fans per match.

The 1934 World Cup in Italy recorded the lowest attendance, with 363,000 spectators.

France in 1938 had the lowest average attendance per match, with 20,872 spectators.

The most recent World Cup, held in Qatar in 2022, drew 3,404,252 fans to stadiums, with an average attendance of 53,191 per match.

Maracana Stadium’s record

Brazil’s Maracana Stadium, one of the oldest venues in world football, holds a special place in World Cup history.

The 1950 final between Brazil and Uruguay at Maracana was watched by 173,850 ticketed fans, making it the highest-attended match in tournament history. The actual number of people inside the stadium was claimed to have exceeded 200,000.

Two other matches at the same tournament, also played at Maracana, rank among the best-attended in World Cup history.

Brazil’s match against Spain drew 152,772 spectators, while Brazil’s against Yugoslavia was watched by 142,429 fans.