World Cup final sets record for United States viewership as more than 60 million tune in

Sport admin July 22, 2026 0 Comments

World Cup final sets record for United States viewership as more than 60 million tune in

There are a lot of things that could have gone wrong during this summer’s World Cup — a complicated logistical undertaking that included three host nations, 16 stadiums, 48 teams, 104 games and endless opportunities for controversy on and off the soccer field.

But in retrospect, a lot of things went right.

The United States, Canada, and Mexico spent nearly six weeks hosting soccer’s biggest showcase and — at least for the most part — the action stayed on the field.

FOX said Tuesday that the Spain-Argentina final drew 38.937 million viewers — including a peak of 51.685 million — which easily set the record as the most-watched English-language soccer telecast in United States history, according to Nielsen Media Research. Spain won the final 1-0 in extra time.

Biggest takeaways from the World Cup in Boston

Boston Globe sports reporters break down what went well on and off the pitch during the FIFIA World Cup tournament in Boston.

Telemundo’s preliminary numbers for its Spanish-language broadcast said the game had a total audience of 22.6 million, putting the total number of US viewers at more than 60 million.

Star players like Argentina’s Lionel Messi, France’s Kylian Mbappé, and Norway’s Erling Haaland became household names across North America, television ratings remained high in the United States even after the Americans were eliminated and despite high ticket prices, most games featured packed stadiums.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave effusive praise to the host countries on Sunday.

Attendance was good, so were ratings

Fox broadcast all 104 games in English on its platforms and American viewership remained strong even after Team USA was eliminated by Belgium in the round of 16.

Spanish broadcasts on Telemundo were also a popular option — even for non-native speakers.

FOX averaged 7.737 million viewers for the 104 broadcasts on FOX, FS1 and Tubi — up from 3.588 million in 2022 and 2.77 million in 2018.

World Cup fans filled Boston with pride, culture, and celebration

For many World Cup fans, the competition is a rare opportunity to see their home countries and cultures celebrated on a global stage. (Olivia Yarvis/Globe Staff & Raphael Chinca/Globe Staff)

Though Nielsen’s viewership numbers give a window into the World Cup final’s widespread popularity, it’s a challenge to reflect how many people actually watched since some viewed the game in group settings such as watch parties. In 2025, Nielsen expanded its out-of-home measurement system to try and get a more accurate count.

Despite a few early hiccups, stadium attendance was also strong throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“We have had a record number of spectators in the stadiums, almost 7 million,” Infantino said. “We will have had, I mean the official figures will come out soon, but probably over 6 billion people watching it from home.”