Lionel Messi played a significant role in breaking a 32-year World Cup attendance record on Tuesday, 16 June.
Messi was the biggest name in action on Tuesday, scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-1 victory over Algeria in Kansas City.
Kylian Mbappe also starred in France’s win versus Senegal, and Erling Haaland scored twice for Norway against Iraq.
It was probably the best day of the 2026 World Cup so far, which will now be remembered for making history, too.
How World Cup 2026 broke a 32-year attendance record
Four matches took place on Tuesday: France vs Senegal, Norway vs Iraq, Argentina vs Algeria and Austria vs Jordan.
Supporters from around the world packed out the stadiums to see the great footballing nations and superstars on display.
According to FIFA, a total of 281,223 fans attended World Cup games on Tuesday, the most in the tournament’s history.
The previous record was 277,070 on 28 June at the 1994 World Cup, also in the United States.
After six days of the 2026 World Cup, the total attendance has exceeded 1.3 million and is set to smash the overall tournament record.
These figures are despite major backlash over ticket prices, with thousands of supporters priced out of attending games.
However, football fans are so loyal that the stadiums are likely to be full regardless of the expense.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been one of the most vocal defenders of the extortionate ticket prices at the World Cup.
He reacted to the latest attendance record: “Wow! 281,223 fans in FIFA World Cup stadiums today – the highest attended day in the history of the competition!
“16 June 2026 will go down in FIFA World Cup history! I cannot thank our fans enough for bringing colour, atmosphere, and emotions to this tournament.
“The most inclusive FIFA World Cup 2026 continues to show just how much our game is loved and how Football Unites The World!”
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