FIFA World Cup 2026 by the numbers: inside the unprecedented operation behind the biggest sporting event in history
Record-breaking tournament delivery involved 645 official sites across North America, with nearly 300,000 accredited personnel helping ensure a top-notch operation for 1,248 players and a cumulative stadium attendance of more than 6.8 million
- More than 43,000 volunteers, 73,700 accredited security personnel and 2,500 FIFA workforce members helped deliver 104 matches across 39 days
- From nearly 675,000 hot dogs sold at matches to 11,337 team movements and 300,000 square metres of custom-grown sod for stadiums and training sites, the tournament required an unprecedented logistical, operational and human effort
The FIFA World Cup 2026™ thrilled the world with unforgettable football, record attendances and historic moments on the pitch. Yet behind every goal, celebration and matchday experience was an operational undertaking unlike anything previously attempted in sport.
Across 39 days, the FIFA World Cup 2026 stretched across three countries, 16 Host Cities, 48 Team Base Camps and 645 official sites. Nearly 300,000 accredited personnel supported tournament operations as 1,248players competed in front of a cumulative stadium attendance of more than 6.8 million fans. What supporters experienced as a seamless celebration of football was underpinned by one of the most extensive logistical and operational mobilisations ever assembled.
From the movement of teams and equipment across a continent to the preparation of world-class pitches, fan operations, security, accreditation, transport, media and broadcast services, virtually every aspect of the tournament was delivered on a scale never before seen at a FIFA World Cup™.
Behind the scenes, more than 43,000 volunteers, 73,700 accredited security personnel and a FIFA workforce representing104 nationalities helped deliver 104 matches safely and successfully. Security operations alone involved more than one million shifts, while accreditation systems processed over five million scans across tournament sites.
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.
Across the 39-day competition, nearly 675,000 hot dogs were sold inside stadiums – enough to stretch approximately 135 kilometres if placed end to end, the equivalent of laying out more than 1,350 football pitches in a single line. Supporters also consumed more than 4.6 million soft drinks and bottled waters and over 5.5 million beers during the tournament.
The scale of fan engagement extended far beyond the stadium gates. FIFA Fan Festivals™ welcomed more than nine million visitors across North America, while FIFA’s Know Before You Go communications programme distributed more than 2,300 WhatsApp messages and 7.7 million emails to help supporters navigate the tournament experience.
Today, FIFA publishes a new collection of facts and figures that reveal the scale, complexity and ambition behind the biggest sporting event in history. These numbers are preliminary, and additional facts, figures and insights will continue to be added to FIFA’s World Cup Organisation page on FIFA.com.
