Vatan OZ/London-Global audiences and fan experiences reflect unprecedented scale of first 48-team edition. Most expansive edition of the FIFA Fan Festival™ to date brought together 5.5 million fans so far. The group stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ has come to a spectacular close, with the biggest edition of football's greatest tournament already rewriting the record books and captivating fans across Canada, Mexico, the USA and all over the world.In just 17 days, the first-ever 48-team tournament has united more nations, players and supporters than ever before, transforming 72 matches across 16 host cities into a celebration of global passion, drama and unforgettable football.
The statistics of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ group stage illustrate the scale of the tournament, which extends far beyond the pitch to encompass every facet of the fan experience, from the 4,644,549 people who attended the matches to the 300,000 hot dogs consumed. To put that into perspective, if all the hot dogs sold were lined up end to end, they would span the roughly 28 miles (45 kilometres) between New York New Jersey Stadium and JFK International Airport.
With 1,248 players representing 48 nations — 999 of whom played in the group stage — and an unprecedented tournament footprint, the first 17 days of the FIFA World Cup 2026 have set a powerful tone for what lies ahead. Click here for some of the official facts and figures from the record-breaking edition of the world's greatest sporting event.
