FIFA World Cup: average and total attendance 1930-2018
World Cup attendances - additional information
A total of 3.43 million people watched the 64 games of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil live in the stadium. This meant that the average attendance per game was 53,592, the highest average since the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro was the biggest stadium at the 2014 World Cup with a capacity of 76,804. The arena was originally built for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and was renovated in preparation for the 2014 tournament. The stadium was the venue for seven games, including the final between Germany and Argentina on 13th July 2014. The 1994 World Cup holds the record for the highest total attendance, at 3.57 million, and the highest average attendance at 68,626.
The first World Cup held in Uruguay in 1930 was contested by 13 teams and saw a total of 18 games being played. The number of participating teams continued to rise until 1982 when the number stood at 24, with a total of 52 games being played. The tournament was expanded into its current format in France 1998 when 32 teams from 5 confederations qualified for the finals and played a total of 64 games. The average number of goals scored per game at the 2014 World Cup was 2.7, an increase from 2.23 in the previous World Cup in South Africa in 2010. The highest average was achieved in Switzerland in 1954 when an average of 5.38 goals were scored per game.