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SportsUSMNT World Cup exit draws record 30 million TV viewers, most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history
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The US men's national team's 4-1 loss to Belgium in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 drew an average of 30 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history. Telemundo reported 12 million viewers, setting a record for USMNT games on Spanish-language TV. The combined 40 million viewers may surpass any single-game U.S. sports broadcast this decade except NFL games. The audience peaked at 36.895 million between 9:15-9:30 p.m. ET. The game continued a trend of strong ratings throughout the tournament, with the previous round-of-32 win over Bosnia also holding the record briefly. Analysts note this was a cultural event demonstrating soccer's growing popularity in the U.S., despite the disappointing result.
Source report
By: Dan Shanoff and Andrew Marchand
The U.S. men’s national team may be out of the 2026 World Cup, but not before setting one final television record.
Monday night’s 4–1 loss to Belgium drew an average of 30 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history. On Telemundo, the match attracted 12 million viewers, setting a record for the most-watched USMNT game in U.S. Spanish-language television history.
The combined 40 million viewers — a figure not yet finalized by Nielsen to account for the full range of audience inputs — will likely surpass any single-game U.S. sports broadcast this decade, with the exception of the NFL.
Key Viewership Data
- Peak audience (Fox): 36.895 million viewers between 9:15–9:30 p.m. ET, declining once the outcome felt inevitable.
- Previous record: Fox’s round-of-32 win over Bosnia held the record for most-watched English-language soccer broadcast in U.S. history — for a few hours, at least.
- Group stage trend: USMNT games throughout the group stage delivered strong ratings, consistently exceeding 20 million viewers per game across Fox and Telemundo.
Looking Ahead
Quarterfinal matches without the U.S. may not reach the 30 million mark, but with brand names like France and Argentina — and star power such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland — U.S. television audiences are expected to remain strong.
Analysis
This was a cultural event for soccer in the United States. It was disappointing to watch, but the numbers demonstrate the sport’s growing popularity — along with the team and the World Cup itself.
The Nielsen figure will likely rise, and combined with Telemundo’s numbers, the total audience will ultimately approach or surpass 40 million viewers.
The result of the game will be remembered with disdain, but the tournament’s impact will leave an indelible mark. The volume of fans watching — along with the ratings still to come — is clear proof of that.
— Andrew Marchand
Source
Soccer - The AthleticWestern
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USMNT World Cup matches set record US soccer TV viewership