The 2026 World Cup's 11 Most Watched Matches

Key Points:

• The 2026 men’s World Cup set multiple U.S. viewing records, with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa drawing 13.4 million Spanish-language viewers and 7.19 million English-language viewers, both all-time highs for a World Cup opener in the U.S.
• NBCUniversal (Telemundo and Peacock) and Fox Sports repeatedly broke audience records, culminating in a combined 62.8 million viewers for the July 19 final, surpassing the previous U.S. soccer telecast record of 26.7 million from the 2015 women’s World Cup final.
• The tournament's North American location, favorable time slots, and changes in Nielsen's measurement contributed to the ratings surge, with an average of 14.04 million viewers per game across 104 matches, reflecting a significant increase from the 2022 World Cup.
• Digital engagement was massive, with 77.2 billion minutes consumed on NBCU platforms, 4 billion views on FIFA’s official YouTube channel, and 17.2 billion views on Fox Sports’ digital and social channels during the tournament.
• Only four U.S. telecasts since January 2024 have drawn larger audiences than the World Cup final, including the last three Super Bowls and the September 2024 presidential debate, underscoring the event's exceptional popularity.