World Cup Final Sets New Viewership Records on Fox
The World Cup final became a massive win for Fox, attracting record numbers of viewers as Spain narrowly defeated Argentina 1-0 at MetLife Stadium. The broadcast pulled in an average of 38.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched English-language soccer event ever in the United States. At its peak, the audience swelled to approximately 51.7 million, according to Nielsen data released recently.
Fox’s Coverage Throughout the Tournament
Fox aired all 104 matches in English during the tournament and maintained strong viewership even after the U.S. men’s national team exited in the Round of 16 against Belgium. The network averaged 7.73 million viewers across broadcasts on Fox, FS1, and Tubi. This marks a significant jump from previous World Cups, with 3.588 million average viewers in 2022 and 2.77 million in 2018.
The Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo also experienced historic ratings, drawing 23.9 million viewers for the final—setting a record for Spanish-language soccer broadcasts in the U.S.
Stars and Matches That Captivated Audiences
The tournament's thrilling moments and star players played a big role in capturing American fans' attention. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Folarin Balogun became household names throughout the country.
The third-place match between England and France also attracted high ratings, with Fox averaging 13.13 million viewers including pre-match coverage. Meanwhile, Telemundo had 7.7 million viewers tuning in. Both figures set new records for English and Spanish broadcasts of a third-place World Cup match.
