FIFA WC 2026 smashes records to become highest-scoring, most-attended tournament in history

California: The FIFA World Cup 2026 etched its name into the record books on Friday after becoming the highest-scoring edition in the tournament’s history, with the landmark being reached during the United States’ thrilling Group D clash against Turkey.

United States defender Auston Trusty scored the historic 173rd goal of the tournament with an early opener. This surpassed the previous World Cup record of 172 goals set during all 64 matches at Qatar 2022.

This milestone occurred in just the 59th match of the expanded tournament. The goal count kept increasing as Turkiye fought back to secure a dramatic 3-2 win over co-hosts USA, bringing the tournament total to 177 goals.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino praised this achievement as another sign of the tournament’s success. “Surpassing the previous highest of 172 goals from Qatar shows the excitement and attacking talent that have already made the 2026 World Cup so unforgettable,” Infantino wrote on Instagram.

This scoring record has been reached with five matches still left before the knockout stages finish. Unlike past editions, the 2026 World Cup includes 104 matches due to FIFA’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams, allowing for more chances for goals and excitement.

The previous record of 172 goals had stood since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the total was reached over the tournament’s full schedule of 64 matches.

Moreover, the FIFA World Cup 2026 has also broken the all-time attendance record. A total of 3,605,357 fans have attended the tournament so far, the highest attendance in the history of the competition. The tournament’s previous all-time cumulative attendance record was 3.5 million, established at the 1994 edition, by the end of the group stage.

“This is a true reflection of our fans’ love for the beautiful game and football’s ability to bring people together to celebrate, feel joy, and share emotions that unite. The scenes inside the stadiums and across our 16 fantastic host cities have been incredible and I thank you for coming from all corners of the globe to light up this @fifaworldcup,” Infantino said.

“The best is still to come and we will set more records, but what is most important is that people continue to have fun and create memories for life,” he added.

The 2026 edition of FIFA World Cup got off to an epic start and just six days after the thrilling curtain-raiser at Mexico City Stadium, the tournament’s all-time daily attendance record has been broken on June 17 (IST).

In total, 281,223 fans took their places in the stands across four group-stage encounters – France v. Senegal, Iraq v. Norway, Argentina v. Algeria and Austria v. Jordan – with the combined attendance figure surpassing the previous daily record of 277,070, set on 28 June 1994, which also featured four matches.

IANS