“Wow, 1 million fans in the stadiums!”, celebrated this Tuesday (16) the president of FIFA (International Football Federation), Gianni Infantino, thanking “all” the “fans who filled” the 2026 World Cup arenas, in North America, after just five days of competition.
“They brought to life the most inclusive FIFA World Cup of all,” added Infantino in a message published on his Instagram account, accompanied by a photo of him smiling next to the buyer of the millionth ticket.
Sixteen matches, of the 104 scheduled until July 19, have already been played in the United States, Mexico and Canada since the start of the 2026 World Cup, on Thursday (11).
The period leading up to the tournament was marked by criticism of the high ticket prices for the competition, the first to be held in three countries and with 48 participating teams, an increase compared to the 32 in previous editions.
