Boston ranks second among local markets for United States-Paraguay viewership

Everyone knows that Boston is a sports city. That label now applies to soccer.

Per Fox Sports, 18,037,000 watched the United States take down Paraguay, 4-1, in last Friday’s World Cup opener for the Stars and Stripes.

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The audience peaked at 21,560,000 viewers.

It’s a 132 percent increase from the 7,730,000 who tuned in when the United States opened its World Cup against Wales four years ago.

Boston was the second-highest local market, with an 8.56 rating. Kansas City (9.18) was No. 1, and San Diego (7.30) was in third.

Not bad for a game that was the most-watched men’s World Cup English-language telecast in US history.

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Both of the matches played in Foxborough have been hits. Scotland’s Tartan Army stole the show on Saturday night in a 1-0 win over Haiti, singing — and drinking — their way through the city. Oh, and they enjoyed the Red Sox game the next night, too. On Tuesday, fans were treated to an Erling Haaland masterclass in Norway’s 4-1 triumph over Iraq, when they weren’t involved in the “Viking Row”.

Fans have been respectful and joyous in Foxborough, happy to intermingle and be boisterous about their team. Even though the United States played in Los Angeles, there was plenty of interest locally for the host nation.

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