NEW DELHI: The FIFA Under 17 World Cup 2017 in India could very well turn out to be the biggest ever in the tournament’s history and such has been the response of football fans across the country, that India has become only the third nation after China and Mexico to register an Attendance of over a million for the event. And with nine more days remaining, India could beat the existing record of 1,230,976 set in the very first edition in China in 1985.

The attendance for Matches breached the million mark in the final match of the Round of 16. The cumulative total as of now stands at 1,007,396. In a bid to further boost the attendance for the coming matches, the Local Organising Committee has done a reassessment of the complimentary tickets and are re-opening ticket sales for matches at the four venues (Goa, Guwahati, Kochi and Navi Mumbai).

Even though the Indian Under-17 team failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament, their inspired show drew huge number of fans. The average attendance for India games, all played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi, was 49,000 while the overall average attendance for the matches is almost 23,000, which is more than the double the average attendance witnessed at the previous Under 17 World cup held in Chile in 2015.

Javier Ceppi, the Tournament Director of the LOC who had earlier stated that the attendances at the event so far has been “fantastic and astonishing,” said that football has taken over the country and the craze that the tournament has generated is one of a kind.

“We really feel that football has taken over the country and the craze that the tournament has generated is one of a kind,” said Ceppi. “The fans have been fantastic and now India 2017 is on track to become the most attended FIFA U-17 World Cup in the history of the event.

“Keeping that in mind, we have recalled some of the complimentary tickets given in Goa, Guwahati, Kochi and Navi Mumbai and will be opened today so that all football lovers on those cities can have an opportunity to watch the last matches. For that to happen, we appeal to all football fans and spectators to get their tickets and fill up the stadiums on the next matches, so that India 2017 can leave its mark and have the record of attendance for a FIFA U-17 World Cup.”

Attendance Figures from Previous Editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup: