The 2026 FIFA World Cup is barely two weeks old, and stadiums are already bursting. FIFA announced that 1,028,429 fans have passed through the turnstiles across the tournament’s 16 venues in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. That’s an average of 64,277 per match over the first 16 games.

For context, this is a World Cup that expanded to 48 teams and 104 total matches.

The numbers behind the noise

Stadium capacities across the host cities range from roughly 45,000 to over 80,000, with Mexico City Stadium topping out at 80,824 and MetLife Stadium close behind at 80,663.

FIFA is projecting a cumulative global audience exceeding six billion viewers for the entire tournament. That figure includes broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms.

There had been some early hand-wringing about lower-than-expected international visitor numbers and softer hotel demand in certain host cities. The attendance figures suggest that concern was, at minimum, premature.

Kraken steps onto the pitch

Kraken, one of the largest US-based crypto exchanges, was named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the 2026 World Cup in early June. The deal includes activations planned across host cities, designed to introduce football fans to crypto assets.

Kraken isn’t the only crypto-adjacent partner in the mix. FIFA has also worked with prediction markets and other digital finance platforms.

FIFA’s blockchain play on Avalanche

Beyond exchange partnerships, FIFA has been building its own blockchain infrastructure. The organization launched a dedicated blockchain on the Avalanche network to support digital collectibles through its FIFA+ Collect NFT platform. That chain has attracted over 85,000 addresses since launch.