The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now the most-attended sporting event in the tournament’s history, and it’s not even close. With 4,644,549 spectators registered during the group stage alone, the tri-hosted event across the US, Mexico, and Canada has already blown past the previous record set during the 1994 World Cup, which drew roughly 3.5 million across its entire run.
The US has claimed the highest combined host-nation attendance in World Cup history, crossing the 8 million mark. A single-day peak of 426,834 fans showed up on the tournament’s busiest matchday.
Crypto gets a front-row seat
Kraken became FIFA’s first official crypto exchange partner on June 9, 2026. The deal is designed to drive crypto adoption through fan engagement initiatives, essentially turning the world’s most-watched sporting event into a funnel for digital asset awareness.
FIFA has built out a blockchain strategy centered on digital collectibles powered by Avalanche. The platform is EVM-compatible and offers features like Right-to-Tickets access for fans.
