Which FIFA World Cup match had the largest attendance?

The 1950 FIFA World Cup match between Uruguay and Brazil had the largest recorded World Cup attendance, with 173,850 spectators.

Played at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã on 16 July 1950, the match was the decisive fixture of the final round. Brazil needed only a draw to win the tournament, but Uruguay came from behind to win 2–1 and claim the title.

The attendance figure is often described as 199,854 because that number is associated with the stadium’s reported crowd and ticketing history. FIFA and historical tournament records commonly list 173,850 as the official attendance for the match.

Because the 1950 competition used a final group rather than a standalone final, the match is not technically called a final. Its enormous crowd nevertheless remains the World Cup attendance record.