June 29 – FIFA’s expanded 48-team World Cup has delivered the record-breaking crowds the governing body had promised, welcoming 4.6 million supporters to football’s greatest – and most expensive-ever – showpiece across its 72 group-stage matches across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

FIFA said total attendance reached 4,644,549 by the conclusion of the group stage, making it the best-attended opening phase in the competition’s history – admittedly equipped with far more teams and much bigger stadia than previous 64-match editions. 

The figures offer an early commercial vindication of FIFA’s controversial decision to expand the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, a move that was criticised by some as prioritising revenue over sporting quality. FIFA argued that more teams makes the competition more inclusive and provides more countries with competition and the opportunity to grow their game domestically, as seen with the likes of Cape Verde whose performance a have earned them a spot in the round of 32 against World Cup holders Argentina.

FIFA has also pointed to its Fan Festivals, where, across the three host nations, 5.5 million visitors attended.

Among the statistics released was the sale of 300,000 hot dogs during the group stage, alongside a range of other commercial and operational milestones designed to highlight the tournament’s reach.

The attendance figures is significant for FIFA, which has invested heavily in promoting the expanded format as a way of broadening football’s global footprint while creating additional commercial inventory through 32 extra matches. More teams have meant more tickets to sell, more broadcast hours and greater sponsorship opportunities.

Whether the expansion proves to be a sporting success remains a debate that will continue well beyond the final in New York. But commercially, the early returns are difficult to dispute despite a lack of transparency surrounding the reporting of attendance figures and revenues.

With the knockout rounds now under way, and the built-out format packing stadia, expect every record to be toppled in the coming weeks.

Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]