HÀ NỘI — After 20 matches in the group stage of the ASEAN Cup 2024, the total number of spectators who attended the matches exceeded 266,000. This highlights the significant attraction of the Southeast Asian tournament for fans.

According to statistics from the ASEAN Cup organisers, the exact figure was 266,705 spectators. On average, each match drew 13,335 fans, with a total of 70 goals scored, resulting in an average of 3.5 goals per match. These numbers indicate a strong appeal for viewers.

Surprisingly, the Cambodian team attracted the highest number of spectators compared to other teams, surpassing both the Vietnamese and Thai teams, which traditionally have large home fan bases. In two home matches held at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian team drew a total of 41,995 spectators. Specifically, their match against Malaysia ended in a 2-2 draw with 24,886 spectators, while the match against East Timor concluded with a 3-2 victory and 17,109 fans in attendance.

The Thai team ranked second, attracting 40,880 spectators at the Rajamangala Stadium for two matches. The match with the highest attendance was a 1-0 win against Malaysia, which drew 25,619 spectators, followed by a 3-2 victory over Cambodia with 15,261 fans.

The Malaysian team attracted 38,547 spectators to Bukit Jalil Stadium, ranking third in attendance. Notably, 90 per cent of fans came out to watch the critical match against Singapore (which ended in a 0-0 draw), specifically 31,127 fans. Meanwhile the match against East Timor, which ended 3-2, had only 7,420 attendees.

During the group stage, Singapore's national team drew a total of 35,002 spectators to their national stadium, which has a capacity of 55,000. Singapore attracted a notable crowd of 22,611 for their match against Thailand (which they lost 2-4) and 12,391 for their victory over Cambodia (2-1).

However, in the semi-finals, they unexpectedly switched to Jalan Besar Stadium, which has a capacity of only 6,000, to host the Vietnamese team. This switch made it challenging for Singapore fans wanting to support their team in large numbers, as they had to vie for limited tickets to enter Jalan Besar Stadium.

This year, for the first time, the Vietnamese team did not play at the Mỹ Đình National Stadium, which has a capacity of over 40,000. Instead, they played at Việt Trì Stadium in Phú Thọ Province, which accommodates a maximum of 20,000 spectators. In their two group stage matches -- one being a 1-0 win over Indonesia and the other a 5-0 win against Myanmar -- the Vietnamese team attracted a total of 33,538 spectators. Specifically, the match against Indonesia had 16,669 attendees, while the match against Myanmar drew 16,869.

These attendance figures have not fully filled Việt Trì Stadium. However, for the semi-final second leg against Singapore on December 29, the stadium is expected to reach its maximum capacity of 20,000 spectators, given the high demand for tickets, with the Việt Nam Football Federation announcing that all tickets have sold out. VNS