Most Attended Football Match In History (Top 10)

Are you wondering which football match registered the most attendance?

Football has always been the most engaged sport with some of its games pulling an attendance of 1k upward. In other words, the fans have always turned up to support their teams, be it a competitive match or not, but some matches turn out to be wild.

Moreover, this article will be working hand in hand to list the most attended football match in history that you may have not known. So, without wasting time, let us proceed to the first football match in history with the most attendance –

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1. Brazil vs Uruguay – 199,854 (World Cup Final, 1950)

Countless times we have experienced Brazil performing wonders in the FIFA World Cup which they also did in the 1950 FIFA World Cup by reaching the final to claim the trophy.

The Maracana arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil hosted the largest-ever crowd relating to soccer in 1950.

Well, unfortunately for Brazil, Uruguay won the World Cup in front of almost 200,000 spectators.

As Brazil was defeated, they had to switch from their white uniform to what they have now, which is a yellow shirt on blue shorts.

2. Scotland vs England – 149,547 (Home International Championship, 1937)

Following the largest-ever recorded crowd (199,854) in football history is a Home International Championship between Scotland and England which was held in 1937 in Scotland.

However, it is surprising that this match pulled an attendance of 149,547 even though it was not a competitive match.

Before the game was played, Wales had already won the Championship that year but out of the love of the country, more than 50,000 supporters of England traveled to Scotland to record a victory against Scotland but unfortunately for them, they were defeated 3 – 1.

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3. Celtic vs Aberdeen – 147,365 (Scottish Cup Final, 1937)

The Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Aberdeen in 1937 makes it to the list of most attended football matches in history.

Well, an official attendance of 147,365 was recorded in the Scottish Cup Final between Celtic vs Aberdeen, only a week after the Scotland vs England match.

The greatest-ever recorded attendance for both a home European game and a National Cup Final in history was recorded by this game, which also set two new marks for Hampden Park.

Due to the stadium being crowded, 30,000 spectators were kept away from the stadium as they, unfortunately, missed the game due to overpopulation. Celtic won 2 – 1 and dedicated the win to their fans.

4. Celtic vs Leeds – 136,505 (European Cup Semis 2nd Leg, 1970)

The Hampden Park set another record in the 1970 European Cup semis 2nd Leg. A game between Celtic and Leeds.

It was a record for the biggest club crowd in Europe and also the biggest crowd spotted at a UEFA competition.

Well, the game was supposed to be held at Celtic Park, but there was more demand for tickets than the available seats, hence, the game was shifted from Celtic Park to Hampden Park where a 10,000 allocation was given to Leeds and half was sold while approximately half was returned to the host side.

5. Benfica vs Porto – 135,000 (Portuguese Primeira Liga, 1987)

The largest-ever recorded attendance in Portugal was held in the former Stadium da Luz. Well, it has been more than 30 years since this record was set in football history.

The 135,000 attendance mark was established in a clash between Benfica and Porto. To sum it up, the home team won 3-1. Moreover, the outcome gave Benfica the best chance to win the Primeira Liga that year, edging Porto by three points.

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6. East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan – 134,000 (Federation Cup Semis, 1997)

A notable 134,000 spectators reached Salt Lake Stadium in 1997 to watch the Federation Cup Semi-Final between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.

The host team eliminated the away side 4 – 1 in front of the most recorded sporting audience in India.

Furthermore, this record surpassed most cricket matches. However, it was so sad for the home side as they faced a defeat in the Championship game a week later.

7. Real Madrid vs AC Milan – 129,690 (European Cup Semis 2nd Leg, 1956)

Although Barcelona has a bigger capacity compared to Real Madrid, the Whites top the list for the biggest attendance.

A little under 130,000 watched Real Madrid clash against the Italian powerhouse, AC Milan in 1956, it was a European Cup semis.

Real Madrid faced a defeat of 2 – 1 at Milan but pulled back the scoreline with 4 – 2  to aggregate 5 – 4 overall. Madrid qualified for the next round, won, and lifted the trophy 5 consecutive times.

8. Bolton Wanderers vs West Ham United – 126,047 (FA Cup Final, 1923)

Arguably, the old Wembley space was capable of pulling a football crowd which England could testify to. The 1923 FA Cup final between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham recorded a record-breaking attendance of 126,047 spectators.

Well, till today, rumors are having it that the recorded attendance in the 1923 FA Cup final was 300,000 although 126,047 was officially noted.

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9. Mexico vs Brazil – 110,000 (1999 FIFA Confederations Cup Final)

Tied on the ninth-highest football match crowd number in history was the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup final between Mexico and Brazil in the match to determine the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup champions.

According to records, an official attendance of 110,000 was recorded in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on August 4th, 1999.

Mexico won the game 4-3, making them the first CONCACAF team to succeed in a tournament and confirming their first major trophy in history.

10. Manchester United vs Real Madrid – 109,318 (International Champions Cup, 2014)

The most recent record of a larger number of attendance in a soccer game in history was set on August 2, 2014, during a match between the 20th-time Premier League holder, Manchester United, and the 14th-time Champions League winner, Real Madrid for the International Champions Cup in America.

The Red Devils won 3-1 in front of a sell-out crowd of 109,318 at Michigan Stadium at the University of Michigan.

The last record set in the United States was 101,799 which was established in the 1984 Olympic Football final between France and Brazil in the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. France won 2 – 0.

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However, it is more of a surprise that the record was broken twice in 24 hours because the third-place play-off matches the day prior received (at the time) a mark of 100,374.

Well, that will be rare to see again in football, it was a great turnout.

Conclusion

In my opinion, If an award were to be given for setting the largest attendance record, the fans should be getting it anyway because they played an important role in the record.

However, there are still record-breaking attendance in football history that would surprise you but the above listed are the top 10 largest-ever attendance set by football fans during football games and of course, they should be capable of making you wonder how they happened.