"The event reached its capacity of 40,000 people, ... a sign of its success and popularity," the committee said.
Qatar, home to 3 million people, will see its population swell as the tournament begins. It has spent over $200 billion for improvements across this energy-rich country slightly larger than Jamaica.
That includes a vast new underground metro system that can whisk fans from the airport to matches. It has even closed schools for the month and urged residents to work from home.
But AP journalists have seen pinch points where an overwhelming number of people can be bunched together even before the tournament begins.
In Doha's Souq Waqif, a major tourist destination, a walkway between outdoor restaurants quickly filled shoulder to shoulder Friday night. Its nearby metro station saw long lines, with some pushing and shoving between orderlies and those taking the train.
AP journalists saw police on horseback at one point in the fan holding area, as well as one armored police vehicle parked outside nearby.Still, some visitors stayed and waited, hoping for a chance to get in, like Ayman Awad, a geologist who flew to Qatar on Saturday from Sudan.
"I won't give up," Awad said. "I hope it doesn't stay this crowded."
Many foreign fans, aware of Qatar's restrictions on free speech, were wary of criticizing the host country as they waited. A group of Saudi tourists who expressed disappointment at the situation to an AP journalist later retracted their quotes for fear of wading into "politics."
The Fan Zone at Al Bidda Park plans other major concerts as well during the tournament. But it has taken on new prominence after Friday's decision to ban alcohol sales at stadiums: It will be one of the few places outside of hotel bars and private residences where fans can have a drink while partying in this conservative Islamic nation.
On Saturday night, a quick set of calls to several bars in Doha's West Bay, an area full of high-end hotels, found that all were fully booked the night before the tournament as the Fan Zone was shut.
Yet the real test will begin Sunday, as Ecuador faces Qatar in the opening match and the group stage follows behind - with the crowds to come.