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SportsU.S.-Belgium World Cup match draws 33 million viewers on Fox, setting U.S. soccer TV audience record
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The United States' round-of-16 loss to Belgium at the 2026 FIFA World Cup drew 33 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched soccer telecast on a single network in U.S. history. The game peaked at 41 million viewers during the second half. This broke the previous record set just days earlier by the U.S.-Bosnia match (26.395 million). Earlier group stage games against Paraguay (18.039 million) and Turkey (17.015 million) also set records. The tournament, co-hosted by the U.S., continues with quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final on July 19. Without the U.S. or Mexico playing, further record-breaking is unlikely, but the 2026 tournament has already secured a historic place in U.S. sports TV ratings.
Source report
USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino consoles Chris Richards after the team's World Cup loss to Belgium, a game that peaked on Fox with more than 41 million viewers. Steven Bisig / Imagn Images
By Dan Shanoff July 9, 2026 | Updated July 10, 2026 — 9:51 AM EDT
According to final audience totals from Nielsen, the United States' round-of-16 loss to Belgium at the 2026 FIFA World Cup became the most-watched soccer telecast on a single network in U.S. history. More than 33 million viewers tuned in to the English-language broadcast on Fox.
- The U.S.-Belgium match followed the previous day's England-Mexico thriller, which also drew a massive U.S. TV audience: 21.7 million on Fox and 23.2 million on Telemundo.
- The U.S.-Belgium broadcast peaked during the second half with more than 41 million viewers on Fox.
Record-Breaking Ratings for USMNT Throughout the Tournament
The U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) has drawn exceptional ratings across the World Cup:
- Round of 32 vs. Bosnia: 26.395 million viewers on Fox — at the time, the most-watched English-language soccer broadcast in U.S. history.
- Group Stage vs. Paraguay: 18.039 million viewers on Fox (then a record for English-language audiences).
- Group Stage vs. Turkey: 17.015 million viewers on Fox.
What's Next
The 2026 World Cup continues on Fox and Telemundo with:
- Three quarterfinal matches across Friday and Saturday
- Semifinals next week
- World Cup Final on July 19
While U.S. TV records may not fall in the coming week without the U.S. or Mexico playing, the 2026 tournament has already secured a prominent place in U.S. sports television history, with phrases like "most-watched ever" appearing consistently over the past month.
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- Ranking Top 50 Players
- Bracket
Source
Soccer - The AthleticWestern
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USMNT World Cup matches set record US soccer TV viewership