Soccer News: Fans Dive into Euro Cup Frenzy as UEFA Reaps Huge Profits

According to reports in “Soccer,” two clear winners have emerged from this edition of the Euro Cup, regardless of which team lifts the Deauville Cup at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium: the fans who have embraced the unprecedented revelry and UEFA, which is filling its coffers.

Media outlets note that after the round of 16, 44 matches have attracted 2.274 million spectators, nearing the record (2.427 million, set in the 2016 Euro Cup). With seven more crucial games to come, all in stadiums with capacities over 50,000, a new attendance record for a single Euro Cup tournament is all but guaranteed. On average, 51,680 people per game have attended, surpassing the 2016 figure (47,600) and ranking only behind the 1968 Italy Euro Cup (52,200) and the 1988 Germany Euro Cup (56,700), albeit with venues that were less modern and did not permit standing room.

It is said that this Euro Cup has recorded the highest average attendance for continental tournaments since the stadium modernization of the 1990s, matching the FIFA World Cups of 2006 in Germany, 2014 in Brazil, and 2022 in Qatar – a spectacle that UEFA, in its recent contest for football market share with FIFA, would be delighted to see.

Additionally, fans from around the globe have flocked to Germany, with 10,000 Georgians, 20,000 Slovenians, 30,000 Romanians, 40,000 Dutch, 50,000 Croatians, and possibly half a million English supporters… The atmosphere in the stadiums, fan zones, squares, and streets of the 10 host cities feels like a carnival party.

The hosts anticipate 3 million fans entering the country during the tournament, with food and merchandise sales projected to reach 3.8 billion euros. However, it is UEFA that stands to make the most significant earnings, with profits exceeding 1 billion euros from broadcast rights, licensed duty-free merchandise, and ticket sales commissions.