The 2026 FIFA World Cup rewrote the record books, becoming by far the most-attended World Cup in sporting history with more than 6.8 million spectators across North America.
While football continues to dominate globally, cricket also enjoyed unprecedented crowd numbers, with both the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 setting new attendance records for ICC events.
Here’s a look at the five biggest World Cups by stadium attendance since 2022.
Most-attended Sports World Cups since 2022
| Individual/Organisation | Alleged Breach |
|---|---|
| Leandro Paredes | Three counts of assault |
| Nahuel Molina | Two counts of assault, one count of unsporting behaviour |
| Roberto Ayala | One count of assault |
| Thiago Almada | One count of unsporting behaviour |
| Gavi (Spain) | One count of unsporting behaviour |
| Argentine Football Association | Political demonstration, team misconduct, discrimination and racist abuse, order and security breaches |
FIFA World Cup 2026: A new benchmark
The expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup shattered every previous attendance record.
Hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the tournament attracted approximately 6.81 million spectators across 104 matches, comfortably eclipsing the previous record of 3.59 million set during USA 1994.
The tournament averaged over 65,000 spectators per match, while stadium occupancy reportedly reached 99.7% throughout the competition.
The World Cup final was part of an event that also saw more than 9 million visitors attend FIFA Fan Festivals across host cities.
Qatar 2022 remains football’s benchmark for a 32-team World Cup
Before North America’s record-breaking edition, Qatar 2022 held the modern attendance record.
The tournament welcomed 3,404,252 spectators across 64 matches, averaging 53,191 fans per game, with stadiums operating at approximately 96.3% capacity.
The final between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium drew 88,966 spectators, capping one of the most memorable World Cups in history.
Rugby World Cup France 2023 posts record crowds
France hosted the most-attended Rugby World Cup ever.
A total of 2,437,208 spectators attended the 48 matches, averaging 50,775 fans per game, while more than 1.6 million people also visited official Rugby Villages throughout the tournament.
The final between South Africa and New Zealand attracted 80,065 spectators at Stade de France.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 becomes cricket’s biggest T20 event
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 became the highest-attended tournament in the competition’s history.
Played across India and Sri Lanka, the event welcomed more than 1.28 million spectators, with the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium drawing 86,824 fans.
The tournament regularly attracted crowds exceeding 20,000 during the group stage, while marquee matches comfortably filled some of India’s biggest cricket venues.
ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 breaks ODI attendance record
India’s hosting of the 2023 ODI World Cup produced another attendance milestone.
The tournament attracted 1,250,307 spectators across 48 matches-an average of 26,048 fans per game-making it the highest-attended Men’s Cricket World Cup in history.
It surpassed the previous record of 1,016,420 spectators set during the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The competition also recorded the biggest attendance for an opening match and the highest-attended India-Pakistan fixture in Cricket World Cup history.
Football remains unmatched, but cricket continues to grow
The numbers underline football’s unmatched global drawing power, with both FIFA World Cups occupying the top two spots by a significant margin.
However, cricket has enjoyed remarkable growth in stadium attendance over the past three years. The 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup both established new ICC attendance records, highlighting the sport’s growing commercial appeal and the impact of hosting major tournaments in cricket’s biggest markets.
With India set to host more global events over the coming years and the FIFA World Cup continuing to expand, future attendance records could be pushed even higher.