U.S. Men's World Cup Match Sets Viewership Record

The U.S. men's national soccer team achieved its first knockout stage victory in 24 years during the FIFA World Cup 2026, setting a viewership record. The match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, held on July 1, averaged 24.43 million viewers according to preliminary Nielsen numbers, surpassing the previous record of 22.32 million viewers for the 2015 women's World Cup final. The total viewership, including pre-match coverage, marks the largest English-language TV audience for any soccer match in the U.S. Telemundo and Peacock added 9.1 million viewers for the Spanish-language broadcast, bringing the combined total to 33.53 million, which exceeds the previous U.S. record of 26.7 million viewers for the 2015 women's final and the 2014 men's final. Fox's viewership peaked at 31.88 million during the match. Ratings for both Fox and Telemundo/Peacock have increased significantly compared to the 2022 World Cup, with audience numbers doubling through the group stage and early knockout rounds. The U.S. team is set to face Belgium in the round of 16 on July 3.