Looking at the numbers, you can see that viewership remained strong even after America was eliminated from the tournament.
Published July 22, 2026
Some 63 million Americans watched Spain defeat Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, shattering viewership records and highlighting soccer’s growing appeal in America after decades of efforts to widen its audience.
The final match, held in New Jersey, remained scoreless until Spain broke through in the 106th minute to win 1-0 in extra time.
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Fox’s English-language broadcast drew 38.9 million viewers, while Comcast’s Telemundo TV network and Peacock streaming platform drew an additional 23.9 million viewers for its Spanish-language broadcast, the companies said. The total number of viewers far exceeded the 22.3 million viewers in the United States who watched the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
Fox and Comcast reportedly paid about $485 million and $600 million, respectively, for broadcast rights that included the World Cup, and analysts said strong ratings helped outperform tournament broadcasters.
In other major U.S. sports, several knockout stage matches have outpaced recent championship games as well.
The Round of 16 game between England and Mexico drew nearly 45 million viewers, far more than the 27 million who watched Game 7 of the Major League Baseball World Series, in which the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in overtime, or the 25 million who watched Game 5 of the NBA Finals, in which the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs, ending a 53-year title drought.
Although the number was still lower than the roughly 126 million viewers who watched Super Bowl LX, in which the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots, it was a significant milestone for a sport that had long been overshadowed by American football, basketball and baseball in the United States.
The World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico for the first time, benefited from a prime-time kickoff slot for American spectators. Fans were also captivated by what could be the final World Cup appearances for some of the biggest stars of a generation, including Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo. The last time the United States hosted the tournament was in 1994.
Fox aired all 104 games on its English-language platform, and its U.S. ratings remained strong even after the U.S. lost to Belgium in the Round of 16 on July 6.
The next World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco in 2030, and by Saudi Arabia in 2034. The kickoff times for both tournaments could be unfavorable to U.S. viewers, which could impact future ratings.
