New Delhi [India], Oct 20 (ANI): The attendance for matches of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 breached the million mark in the final match of the Round of 16.
The cumulative total as of now stands at 1,007,396.
The last set of pre-quarterfinal matches involved Ghana taking on Niger and Brazil locking horns with Honduras on Wednesday.
Reflecting on the figures, a statement from the Local Organising Committee said, "To say that we have been overwhelmed by the response from football lovers from around the country would be an understatement and we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of you for creating awareness about the event and making it reach out to as many people as it has."
"Over the remaining nine days, the Local Organising Committee would like to make this tournament the biggest FIFA U-17 World Cup ever, the previous record of 1,230,976 was set in the very first edition in China in 1985."
Javier Ceppi, Tournament Director of the LOC, said, "We really feel that Football has taken over the country and the craze that the Tournament has generated is one of a kind. 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."
Here are the attendance figures from previous editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup:
China 1985 - 1230976
Canada 1987 - 169152
Scotland 1989 - 256000
Italy 1991 - 36992
Japan 1993 - 232992
Ecuador 1995 - 462976
Egypt 1997 - 632992
New Zealand 1999 - 216832
Trinidad and Tobago 2001 - 328288
Finland 2003 - 183616
Peru 2005 - 551808
Korea 2007 - 436072
Nigeria 2009 - 778752
Mexico 2011 - 1002300
UAE 2013 - 318084
Chile 2015 - 482456. (ANI)
This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI