The recently-concluded FIFA World Cup 2026 generated record digital engagement and television audiences, while requiring an unprecedented operational effort across North America, with more than 6.8 million spectators attending 104 matches and nearly 300,000 accredited personnel supporting the tournament, according to figures released by football’s global governing body.

FIFA, in a press release, earlier this week, said its digital platforms recorded 20 billion video views, 30 billion social media impressions and 1.7 billion engagements during the tournament.

Video views on TikTok and YouTube alone reached 14.5 billion, while social media impressions rose 130 percent, engagement increased 160 percent and video views jumped 485 percent compared with the same stage of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

FIFA.com attracted 187 million unique visitors, while the FIFA Tournament App and FIFA Official App had a combined 50 million users. FIFA also gained 54 million new followers across platforms during the competition.

The governing body said several matches delivered record television audiences.

Canada’s Round of 16 match became the country’s most-watched FIFA World Cup game and biggest non-final sports broadcast on record, while Mexico’s Round of 16 clash against England became the country’s most-watched FIFA World Cup match of the 21st century.

The United States’ Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina drew a combined audience of 36.2 million viewers across FOX and Telemundo, making it the most-watched football match in US television history.

The event’s technological and media footprint was equally unprecedented. The International Broadcast Centre in Dallas functioned as a media city in its own right, accommodating thousands of personnel and supporting coverage of every match.

Throughout the tournament, production teams deployed 5,000 cameras, produced more than 24,000 content items and captured the action for audiences around the world.

FIFA said the tournament spanned 39 days, three countries, 16 Host Cities, 48 Team Base Camps and 645 official sites, with 1,248 players taking part in 104 matches.

More than 43,000 volunteers, 73,700 accredited security personnel and a FIFA workforce representing 104 nationalities helped stage the competition.

Security operations involved more than one million shifts, accreditation systems processed over five million scans, while teams made 11,337 official movements during the event. Around 300,000 square metres of custom-grown sod was used across stadiums and training sites.

Fan engagement extended beyond the stadiums, with more than nine million visitors attending FIFA Fan Festivals across North America.

Inside venues, supporters bought nearly 675,000 hot dogs, more than 4.6 million soft drinks and bottled waters, and over 5.5 million beers.

FIFA also said its ‘Know Before You Go’ programme sent more than 2,300 WhatsApp messages and 7.7 million emails to help fans navigate the tournament experience.