A record TV audience of more than 1.5 billion tuned into the World Cup final yesterday, according to officials.
FIFA claimed more people watched Argentina played France – pitching Lionel Messi against fellow superstar Kylian Mbappe – than the 2018 World Cup when 1.12bn watched France beat Croatia in Moscow.
The sport’s governing body says every stage of the tournament in Qatar has seen record viewing figures despite calls for fans to boycott games because of concerns around human rights and the deaths of migrant workers.
Meanwhile, the number of spectators at the games expectedly surpassed the 3.3 million recorded in Russia.
The staging of the tournament in Qatar has been the subject of relentless criticism since the decision was taken in 2010 as critics question the human rights records of the tiny country where thousands of migrant workers reportedly died building the stadiums and infrastructure.
There was has also been concern for the safety of supporters as same-sex relationships are illegal under Islamic Sharia law.
