NEW YORK, (Pakistan Point News - 19th Jul, 2026) As Spain and Argentina contest the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Sunday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that while fans will be watching to see who lifts the iconic gold trophy, they will also be filling New York New Jersey Stadium and tuning in from all corners of the globe because Sunday’s showpiece will represent the exciting conclusion to an enthralling and record-breaking story.
The final will serve as the fitting climax to a transformative tournament. But it will not define it. Whether Argentina earn their fourth star or Spain their second, this 48-team, 104-match FIFA World Cup has already made its indelible mark on history.
The entire world will be watching because, of course, they want to know who is winning the (FIFA) World Cup,” Infantino said on Saturday at a New York City breakfast event for FIFA Member Association (MA) executives.
“But the entire world will be watching as well because this FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States has been the most incredible event in human history. Not just the biggest (FIFA) World Cup, it has been the greatest sporting, social and cultural event in humanity. I think we have to invent some new words,” the FIFA President added referring to the unchartered landmarks that this tournament has now established.
Indeed, the response to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the three host countries and around the world has been beyond expectations and description. The numbers are staggering and represent a reflection not only of football’s unique power to unite and inspire, but of support for the ambitious and forward-thinking decision to expand the tournament to 48 teams.
The list of records is lengthy. Up to and including the two semi-finals, more than 6.6 million fans had filled the 16 state-of-the-art venues across North America. That figure easily surpassed the attendance record set back at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA (3.6 million) and is greater than the combined attendance at the two most recent FIFA World Cups in 2018 and 2022 combined. The 99.7% capacity figure is also an all-time record.
The enthusiasm was not limited to those 16 stadiums, however. More than 8.5 million fans have visited the official FIFA Fan Festivals in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Television viewership records were shattered in the host nations and across the world, while FIFA’s digital and social media channels received an astonishing 34 billion impressions and 2 billion engagements until the end of the quarter-finals. Until just the conclusion of the round of 16, 5.2 billion people – nearly two-thirds of the planet’s population – are estimated to have engaged at least once with the tournament.
