World Cup Final Breaks Records with Huge Viewership on Fox
Fox attracted a massive audience for the 2026 World Cup final as Spain edged Argentina 1-0 at MetLife Stadium. The broadcast pulled in 38.9 million viewers, marking the highest-ever English-language soccer viewership in the United States. At its peak, around 51.7 million people were tuned in, according to Nielsen data released on Tuesday.
Fox covered all 104 matches in English throughout the tournament, maintaining strong ratings even after the U.S. men's national team exited in the Round of 16 against Belgium.
Tournament Ratings and Audience Growth
The network averaged 7.73 million viewers across the World Cup, with coverage split between Fox, FS1, and Tubi. This represents a significant jump from previous tournaments, where averages were 3.588 million in 2022 and 2.77 million in 2018.
Telemundo, the Spanish-language broadcaster, also saw record-breaking numbers, pulling in 23.9 million viewers for the final. This made it the most-watched Spanish-language soccer broadcast in U.S. history.
Stars and Excitement Fuel Ratings
The high ratings were boosted by thrilling matches and star players who caught the American public's attention. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Folarin Balogun became familiar names nationwide during the competition.
Strong Numbers for Third-Place Match
The contest for third place between England and France also drew a large audience. Fox averaged 13.13 million viewers including pregame coverage. Meanwhile, Telemundo brought in 7.7 million viewers. Both marks set new records for third-place World Cup broadcasts in English and Spanish.
