FIFA reported an attendance of 44,985 for Thursday’s World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, but swathes of empty seats around the stadium renewed concerns over ticket pricing and demand for the expanded tournament.

Organizers have for years struggled to sell out stadiums for soccer's biggest competition.

FIFA Promised a World Cup Economic Boom, But U.S. Stands May Be Emptier Than Usual Travel bans, visa denials, safety fears, and record-high ticket prices are suppressing World Cup attendance—and threatening both FIFA’s promised $40 billion windfall and a U.S. tourism industry that was already struggling before the opening whistle.

Considering the Super Bowl is just one day and that the World Cup spans longer than a month, the viewership data favors the latter. In the 2026 tournament, the viewership is predicted to surpass 5 billion people across the world, making that an average of 128.2 million per day across 39 days.

From record-breaking crowds at iconic FIFA World Cup matches to scarcely attended games in the tournament’s early years, attendance figures reveal a fascinating side of soccer’s biggest event. Few events can rival the FIFA World Cup when it comes to drawing massive crowds.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber says the league is treating the 2026 FIFA World Cup not as a six-week showcase, but as the launchpad for a new era, aiming to convert global attention on