World Cup 2026 playoffs begin after record interest from over 4.6 million spectators

The group stage of the "FIFA 2026" World Cup concluded on Saturday, and the first-ever expanded 48-team format has officially rewritten attendance records. According to "FIFA" data, the 72 group-stage matches played in 16 host cities in "Canada", "Mexico", and the "USA" were attended by a total of 4,644,549 spectators – a number that exceeds the previous absolute record of approximately 3.5 million spectators at the 1994 World Cup in the USA.

New playoff format: historic first Round of 32
With the conclusion of the group stage, the tournament bracket is now fully formed, and the playoffs have started with a new stage for the World Cups – the "Round of 32". For the first time in history, the knockout stage includes 32 teams, expanding the number of teams with a chance for direct duels until the final.

On Sunday, the playoff stage itself began, with one of the host countries – "Canada" – achieving a dramatic success against "South Africa". The Canadians won 1-0 in Los Angeles, thanks to a goal by "Stephen Eustáquio" in stoppage time, which secured their historic advancement.

On Monday, the Round of 32 schedule offers three intriguing clashes: "Brazil" vs. "Japan" in Houston, "Germany" vs. "Paraguay" in Boston, and "Netherlands" vs. "Morocco" in Monterrey. Thus, the first playoff round brings together both traditional favorites and teams that have become the surprises of the tournament.

Historic debuts in the playoffs
Particularly impressive is the presence of several countries that have reached the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time in their history. Among the debutants in the playoffs are "DR Congo", "Cape Verde", "Bosnia and Herzegovina", "Ivory Coast", "Egypt", "Canada", and "South Africa" – all of them are clearing the group stage of a World Cup for the first time.

History was also written by "Cape Verde". The island nation with a population of about 500,000 people became the smallest country by population to ever overcome the group stage of a World Cup. On July 3 in Miami, a big test awaits the team – a duel against "Argentina", one of the traditional world football giants.

Records beyond the stadiums
Organizers from "FIFA" reported not only record total attendance but also impressive stadium occupancy. The stadiums during the group stage operated at an average occupancy of 99.7%, and the average attendance per match was 64,508 spectators.

Fans from 210 countries and territories attended the tournament, which underscores the global nature of World Cup 2026. On June 25, a record was set for the most-attended day – a total of 426,834 spectators passed through the stadiums in just one day of the group stage.

The football atmosphere goes far beyond the arenas. Over 5.5 million fans visited the official "FIFA Fan Festival" events in the three host countries during the group stage. The festival in "Mexico City" alone gathered 201,500 people on its busiest day. Sports media also notes another record – the advancement of nine African teams to the playoffs, which is more than any other confederation, with the exception of "UEFA" with its 13 representatives. "Al Jazeera" defines this as an "unprecedented achievement for the continent".

Onwards to the final on July 19
The World Cup 2026 playoffs will continue until July 19, when the grand final will be played at the "New York–New Jersey" stadium. Until then, the world will watch a series of knockout duels in which there is no room for error – every loss means the end of the dream for the title.

On Wednesday, the "USA" will face "Bosnia and Herzegovina" in Santa Clara (California), while "England" will play "DR Congo" in Atlanta. The major favorites "France", "Argentina", and "Spain" have already secured their place among the top two teams in their groups and await their opponents for the Round of 32 later this week.

The expanded 48-team format, record attendance, and historic playoff debuts make the "FIFA 2026" World Cup not just a sports event, but a global social phenomenon. It remains to be seen whether the new stars and debutants will continue to make history in the knockout stage, or if the traditional football powers will impose their class on the road to the final.