India has second-highest number of fans at Qatar World Cup

The first edition of the FIFA World Cup to be hosted in the Middle East and Arab world has seen a cumulative stadium attendance of 2.45 million spectators during the group stage matches with Indians being the second-highest visitors to Qatar for the 29-day tournament.

That equals an average of 96% occupancy and is higher than the corresponding 2.17 million figure for the 2018 edition. The highest attendance in the history of the FIFA World Cup since the 1994 final was seen at Lusail Stadium, where 88,966 fans witnessed the Argentina versus Mexico match, FIFA said.

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So far, 2 million Hayyas (Fan IDs) applications have been received, with fans from Saudi Arabia (77,106), India (56,893), the USA (36,236), the United Kingdom (30,719) and Mexico (25,533) at the top of the list for tournament attendance to date, the governing body added.

According to FIFA, in spite of the unprecedented condensed footprint, with 24 teams staying within a 10km radius of each other, players and officials have also smoothly transferred 3,321 times in and around Doha.

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On the pitch, for the first time ever, teams from all continents have advanced to the round of 16. Likewise, three teams from the AFC (Australia, Japan and Korea Republic) have reached the knockout stages – a competition record for the Asian confederation, which previously only had two, in 2002 and 2010.

Equally remarkably, for the second time, two African teams (Senegal and Morocco) have reached the knockout stages – the last occasion being in 2014.

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“The outcome of the group stage shows the extent to which more countries have acquired the tools to compete at the highest level,” said FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger. “This is the result of better preparation and analysis of the opponents, which is also a reflection of a more equal access to technology. It is very much in line with FIFA’s efforts to increase football’s competitiveness on a global scale.”

As the group stage wrapped up, the FIFA Fan Festival welcomed its one millionth visitor. Besides the official tournament venues, Doha’s seaside promenade – the Corniche – has attracted more than two million people since the start of the tournament, with the traditional Souq Waqif market becoming another hotspot for fans from around the world.

Uruguayan and Korean fans can be proud of having reached a mighty 131 decibels at their match at Education City Stadium – a noise akin to that heard at a live rock concert.

The most compact FIFA World Cup since the inaugural edition in 1930 is also benefiting fans, teams and media representatives, with the option of attending several matches and entertainment activities per day, while operations continue to run smoothly. During the group stage, the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram networks notched up 9.19 million trips, with a daily average of 707,032 passengers.

“It’s been a fantastic World Cup, with groundbreaking figures and memorable moments both on and off the pitch. Fans are having an amazing time in Doha, and the whole world is following with excitement on TV as new records as set every day,” said FIFA COO World Cup, Colin Smith. “What some saw as a challenge, we saw as an opportunity. Teams, media and spectators are enjoying more matches, more festivals, more football, more fun – the compact footprint is comfortably addressing the influx of visitors through state-of-the-art infrastructure and thorough operational plans.”

“Together with the host country, we are constantly monitoring and addressing any situation that arises, but the figures already achieved and the fans celebrating together in a joyful and peaceful way throughout this group stage speak for themselves – we are on track to deliver a successful and unforgettable FIFA World Cup.”