Johannesburg - Attendance at World Cup stadiums was 92.5 percent for the first 11 games, says FIFA spokesperson Nicholas Maingot said.??

An average of 53,019 spectators had attended each of the 11 games played so far, a figure slightly more than the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

During the 2006 tournament an average of 52,167 people attended the first 11 games.

Total attendance so far was 584,396, a figure beaten only by the World Cup in the United States in 1994.

On the large number of vacant seats at the stadiums, Maingot said these were a result of group sales. The tickets had been sold, but not printed. Some ticket holders, including international ones, had simply not turned up for the tournament.

It was important to "look at the bigger picture," he said.

"We have now the second highest attendance after the USA in 1994."

He repeated Monday's statement that it was too early to draw conclusions, but that FIFA was happy thus far [with how the tournament was progressing].

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