NEW YORK: Nearly 63 million viewers in the United States watched Spain defeat Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, setting a new US viewership record for a men’s World Cup final, according to figures released by broadcasters.
Fox’s English-language broadcast attracted 38.9 million viewers, while Telemundo and its Peacock streaming platform drew another 23.9 million for Spanish-language coverage. The combined audience was nearly three times higher than the 22.3 million Americans who watched the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
What does the record audience mean for US soccer?
The record viewership underscores soccer’s growing popularity in the United States, where the tournament was co-hosted alongside Canada and Mexico. Industry analysts said the event also proved commercially successful for broadcasters, with strong advertising revenue and increased streaming subscriptions.
The final, played in New Jersey, saw Spain defeat Argentina 1-0 after extra time. Several knockout-stage matches also outperformed recent championship broadcasts in Major League Baseball and the NBA, although viewership remained below the audience for the Super Bowl.
The next FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco in 2030, followed by Saudi Arabia in 2034.