Top 10 Most Attended World Cup Games

Ask die-hard soccer fans which World Cup they loved most and you will get bombarded with different answers. After all, who you are rooting for will determine which tournaments and games are most memorable. Whether it was Maradona's hand of God goal or Roberto Baggio's missed penalty kick -- joy can quickly turn into sorrow with so much pride on the line.

Pride is one thing, but facts and figures are another. This list looks at the most watched World Cup finals in terms of average attendance at each game.

Number 10

Switzerland, 1954

36,269 average attendance = 943,000 spectators / 26 games

The 1954 World Cup at the foot of the Alps remains, to this day, the highest scoring World Cup ever, with 140 goals scored in 26 matches, or an average of 5.38. Almost a million people who attended the games surely remember the Battle of Berne, a quarterfinal match in which favorite Hungary -- that had been undefeated for 28 games -- and Brazil saw tensions flare and players get ejected. In the end, Germany beat Hungary 3-2 in the finals for the Germans' first World Cup.

Number 9

Mexico, 1986

42,010 average attendance = 2,184,522 spectators / 52 games

After Colombia announced that it could not host the 13th FIFA World Cup, Mexico stepped up to the mound and thus became the only country (at the time) to host the games for a second time. When all was said and done, the mightier Germans eliminated the graceful French, like they did in Spain in 1982. In the final game, Argentina defeated Germany 3-2 before 115,000 fans in Aztec Stadium. Maradona's five goals in the tournament were capped off with the miraculous "hand of God" goal, driving 30 million Argentineans onto the streets back home to celebrate victory.

Number 8

Argentina, 1978

42,374 average attendance = 1,610,215 spectators / 38 games

Despite some calls to boycott the Argentinean Games due to General Videla's regime, the footballers came in droves, with the return of France as well as the first entry by newcomers Tunisia and Iran. The French made little noise, bowing out in the first round. The Netherlands bulldozed their way onto the final, losing to home team Argentina 3-1, led by number 10, Mario Kempes' six goals. Things may have been different had Dutch player Cruyff not been one of the few to boycott the Games...

Number 7

France, 1998

43,366 average attendance = 2,775,400 spectators / 64 games

After suffering through setbacks and defeats, the French finally met their destiny and defeated favorite Brazil 3-0 thanks to French magician Zidane's two goals. In what was the biggest tournament ever, 32 teams played 64 games across the nation. Of note, fans got to see another epic clash between England and Argentina, in which English star David Beckham was sent off for kicking Diego Simeone. Surprises and firsts included Croatia finishing third and the first time that an African refereed the Final, Morocco's Belqola.

Number 6

West Germany, 1974

46,685 average attendance = 1,774,022 spectators / 38 games

1974 marked the replacement of the Jules Rimet Trophy with the universally recognizable FIFA World Cup. It also marked the first tournament for East Germany, Haiti, Australia, and Zaire. When the dust settled, the Netherlands' brand of "total football" was not enough to overcome "der Bomber" Gerd Muller, the "Kaiser" Franz Beckenbauer, and the mighty German squad, as West Germany beat Netherlands 2-1. The surprise was Poland's Grzegorz Lato and his seven goals.

The number one country is a surprise, and guess which country murdered a team member for scoring on his own net accidentally... Next >>