18th edition of Asian Cup Qatar officially surpassed the previous spectatorship record of 1.04 million

Following 63,753 fervent supporters who packed the Al Bayt Stadium to watch reigning champions Qatar defeat Palestine in the Round of 16, yesterday's AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 created a new record for overall attendance: 1.06 million. When the showcase was staged in China PR in 2004, over twenty years ago, 1.04 million spectators attended the previous edition of Asia's crown jewel. This year's competition officially broke that record.

With 40 games played, the Asian Cup is presently ranked second in terms of average attendance, with 26,672 supporters attending each game to show their support. Notably, the tournament just surpassed the record 1.5 billion milestone in terms of digital engagement. After 82,490 spectators established a new record for the largest opening game in AFC Asian Cup history on January 12 when champion Qatar defeated Lebanon at the magnificent Lusail Stadium, the most recent milestone represents the second time that a landmark for spectator attendance has been reached in Qatar.