WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 2023 breaks attendance records

Mexico's victory over the United States was attended by 47,534 people.

The World Baseball Classic has smashed attendance and viewership records in its 2023 edition.

This years' tournament has been the most successful yet, drawing in fans from across the globe. Shattering records

MLB reported that the 2023 edition registered a record attendance for the first round of the competition, drawing 1,010,999 fans, the most attended round in the tournament's history and a 98 percent increase on the previously held record of 510,056 in 2017.

The professional baseball organization has also announced that the tournament's average attendance of 25,275 also set a record for its first round, eclipsing the previous average of 20,402 by 24 percent. The Loandepot Park in Miami, where Pool D matches were held, set the record for the most-attended World Baseball Classic round ever in the history of the United States, drawing some 295,850 fans in an increase of 81 percent. The average attendance in Miami amounted 29,585, which was 8 percent higher than the 2017 average of 27,313.

Mexico's triumph over Team USA on March 12 at Chase Field hosted 47,534 fans, which is a World Baseball Classic attendance record for any first round tie.

Both U.S. venues set single-day attendance records in their respective histories during the First Round on Saturday, March 11.

Over the course of two games, Loandepot Park welcomed 71,289 fans while Chase Field had a total attendance of 68,147.

Record attendances also reported in Japan

The Group B games, held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, also broke records for the most fans of any round in tournament history (361,976) and the highest average attendance (36,198) of any first or second round group in tournament history.

Mexico have form for beating US in WBC

It is not the first time that Mexico have seen off the US in baseball. In March 2006, also at the World Baseball Classic, ‘la Novena Mexicana’ surprised the world by winning 2-1 against a team that boasted future MLB Hall of Famers. And history repeated itself seven years later in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, when the Mexicans defeated Team USA 5-2.