Qarabag vs. Sabah match sets attendance record

The first leg of the Azerbaijan Cup semifinal between Qarabag and Sabah ended in a 2-2 draw and set a historic attendance record.

According to Report, citing the Professional Football League (PFL), 21,000 spectators attended the match at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium.

This figure represents an all-time high not only for the 2025/2026 season but also for the past 10 seasons of PFL tournaments. The last match with higher attendance was the 2015/2016 Azerbaijan Cup final between Qarabag and Neftchi, which drew 23,000 fans and ended in a 1-0 victory for Qarabag.

The Qarabag–Sabah clash ranks fifth in the overall history of PFL competitions since 2008, with all four higher-attended matches being Cup finals.

The match also became the most attended home game for any club in the league's recent history. The previous record for a home match was set on February 14, 2016, when Kapaz hosted Qarabag (1-2) in Ganja, attracting 20,400 fans.

In broader context, the last time a home match surpassed this figure was 19 seasons ago, during the 2006/2007 season when Neftchi faced Khazar Lankaran, drawing 25,000 spectators.

The previous attendance record for the 2025/2026 season was also held by these two teams, with the March 1 league match ending 3-3 and attended by 10,361 fans. The new figure more than doubles the previous season record.