SportsEpreneur has estimated that 3.5 billion fans enjoy soccer. WorldPopulationReview has reported the same figure.
In comparison, American football has around 400 million fans. Soccer is the king of sports in nearly all of Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Central America. For almost everyone but those in the States, soccer is likely to be talked about, watched, played and reported on more than anything else.
World Cup 2026
This year’s tournament is the biggest in history with 48 teams competing, an expansion from 32.
The World Cup is undoubtedly one of the globe’s most high-profile events. This summer, there is greater concern around cybersecurity with 104 matches (more than ever) taking place. According to Computer Weekly, Palo Alto Networks claimed that the 2026 World Cup had the largest attack surface in history. The systems used for official apps, ticketing, streaming, stadium networks and sponsor platforms are all possible routes of attack.
For more details about how a VPN can safeguard your internet connection, you can check ExpressVPN’s official website.
Stadium Attendance and Ticket Prices
FIFA claimed early in the group stage that fans staying on the concourses was the reason for so many empty seats. In the near sell-out between South Korea and Czechia, the stadium looked nowhere near its official 44,985 attendance at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. The discrepancy followed much criticism of ticket pricing and debate over how many of the 104 matches would be in high demand.
The footballing body said the official attendance figures reflected tickets scanned and fans “present within the stadium footprint”. The organizers also released a photo showing a fuller-but-not-full stadium. Estadio Akron holds 46,000.
The opening match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa was attended by more than 80,000, mostly Mexican fans, as expected.
Tickets for the tournament have continually fluctuated in price, with FIFA realizing it could not sell every ticket for hundreds of dollars. Thousands remained for sale across various platforms by the time the World Cup had kicked off.
BBC said despite FIFA president Gianni Infantino claiming that every match was sold out, “the reality appears to be different”. Games between the traditional biggest nations in soccer, including Brazil, Argentina, England and Germany, faced fewer problems. But the host nations – the United States, Canada and Mexico – saw their tickets priced higher. Only two of the three nations’ group stage matches (nine in total) were sold out by June 4.
Is Low Attendance Evidence That Soccer Isn’t That Big?
Despite the World Cup debates, soccer is undoubtedly one of the most-watched and most-attended sports in the world. The biggest leagues – including England’s Premier League, Spain’s LaLiga, and Italy’s Serie A – regularly draw crowds of 50,000 and up.
The Premier League had a total 2025-26 season attendance of 15,821,657; Germany’s Bundesliga had 11,830,600 in 2024-25; and LaLiga 11,394,949. USA’s MLS is one of the fastest-growing leagues, driven in part by Lionel Messi’s arrival in the last few years. The league surpassed 11.2 million fans in live attendance in 2025, an all-time record.
However, the NFL is reportedly the world’s leading sports league in average attendance, with 69,555 fans per game in 2024. In 2025, the Green Bay Packers averaged 77,848 fans per game at Lambeau Field.
The 2026 World Cup elimination rounds continue Thursday night and go on until a winner is crowned on July 19.
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