USMNT ends World Cup run with one more viewership record on FOX

3F08FK0 Seattle, USA. 6th July, 2026. Romelu Lukaku (C) of Belgium celebrates scoring during the round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Seattle Stadium in Seattle, the United States, July 6, 2026. Credit: Xu Chang/Xinhua/Alamy Live News

The United States’ World Cup run ended with the biggest viewership milestone yet.

Monday’s Belgium-United States FIFA World Cup round of 16 match averaged a preliminary Nielsen audience of 30.0 million viewers on FOX, including pre-match coverage — ranking as easily the largest soccer audience ever on U.S. English-language television, with or without pre-match coverage included. The previous high was 26.395 million for the previous USMNT match against Bosnia & Herzegovina.

The five USMNT matches in this year’s World Cup rank among the eight most-watched soccer telecasts ever on English-language television, with the two knockout stage matches placing first and second and the group stage matches against Paraguay (18.04M), Turkey (17.02M) and Australia (16.22M) ranking fourth, fifth and eighth. (The three exceptions were the 2015 and 1999 Women’s World Cup finals at 22.32 and 17.98 million respectively, and the 2022 Argentina-France World Cup final at 16.78 million.)

Prior to this year, the record for a USMNT World Cup match (including pre-match coverage) was 15.38 million for a 2022 group stage match against England that aired on FOX the day after Thanksgiving. (With pre-match coverage excluded, the record was 18.2 million for a 2014 group stage match against Portugal on ESPN.)

Note that this year’s World Cup is just the second since Nielsen began including out-of-home viewing in its estimates in 2020 and the first since the company shifted to a new methodology last fall that integrates “Big Data” from smart TVs and set-top boxes with its traditional panel. Those changes have given most sports properties a leg up on even just a year ago, much less four years ago — and certainly as compared to years prior to 2020.

Belgium’s win, which peaked with 36.9 million in the 9:15 PM ET quarter-hour, more-than-doubled the previous USMNT round of 16 match four years ago — a loss to the Netherlands that aired on the morning of a college football Saturday (12.97M). It also more-than-doubled the same Belgium-USMNT matchup in the 2014 round of 16, which averaged 13.44 million in a Tuesday afternoon window on ESPN.

USMNT, Mexico, exit World Cup just as viewership began reaching new heights

Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.

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Comments 22

Hello Larry says:

1 month ago

Huge numbers, I wanted US to get further just to see how high the numbers could get. This is a rare occasion where the World Cup is able to be broadcast live in primetime. US being home adds to it as well. Very successful World Cup for FOX this year and Telemundo on the Stateside of things. I think the great thing about US getting to the quarterfinals in this tournament is that it’s got casual viewers learning the other teams and stars. I think ratings will remain on the high side. Most of the talk to me was more about Argentina this week more than US’ elimination. People are gonna want to see Argentina not win which will draw more intrigue if they make the final. Haaland, Kane, and Mbappe are stars who can hold weight. I think Saturday’s Kane vs. Haaland match will be a huge draw on Saturday afternoon for FOX. Let’s see how the rest of the tournament draws. I think 30+ million for the cup final is automatic no matter who’s there. This makes me feel great about the LA Olympics in 2028. Those are gonna draw some huge numbers for NBC that we haven’t seen in many years.

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ESL says:

2 months ago

Not surprised at all by this number. I believe FIFA and the refs will do all they can to make sure Argentina and Messi gets to the final. Viewership will be fine. I think the final has a chance to reach 25 million if Messi makes it. I am disappointed at the schedule moving forward with only 1 more prime time game (Saturday). I know they want the schedule to help out Europe, but, I thought Fox would have more pull with this being in the US. There should be at least 2 quarterfinals in prime time and 1 semi final. Not optimal for weekday games.

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- Richard says:
  
  2 months ago
  
  Money talks.
  
  The issue I see here is that many Americans have this entitlement mentality and always expect everybody to cater to them so are shocked when some other entities actually has more pull.
  
  If you’re in East Asia, pretty much every WC (outside of 2002) has taken place at an inconvenient time.
  
  Reply
  - ds says:
    
    2 months ago
    
    Late-round World Cup playoffs often look a lot like late-round UEFA Euro playoffs crashed by a “guest” team or two (usually CONMEBOL). I agree it is an “entitlement” mindset to think late-round World Cup knockouts – mainly featuring UEFA teams with heavy viewing in UEFA countries – should be optimized for the Americas. Soccer fans in the Americas have been well catered to by group stage and earlier playoff rounds
    
    Reply
Tony says:

2 months ago

Including telemundo, Is this game the second most watched (over 40m) sporting event in sports history aside from NFL games?

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- ds says:
  
  2 months ago
  
  MLB used to be huge in the US. Data from the 1970s and 1980s has some entire World Series averaging ~40 million US viewers with a few of the later-round games at 50+ million US viewers
  
  If ~30 million preliminary on FOX becomes ~45 million final across FOX and Telemundo, USMNT-Belgium will have been more watched than any basketball, hockey, or college football game in US history. Caveats apply, especially OOH (e.g., 1990s Bulls would likely have soared in viewership had today’s methodology been in use)
  
  Reply
JEAN H PIERRE says:

2 months ago

Not surprised by the number. I’m sure they’re going to be adjusted which wouldn’t surprise me if it’s at 33 million viewers. Now that the US is out, do you still see viewership remaining High the rest of the way. You still have some big name teams still playing. What do you think Dr Lewis?

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George Cooper says:

2 months ago

I am not that surprised at the numbers, perhaps 10% higher than I thought for an evening US knockout game. A lot of people are not taking into account the % of US population born outside of the US vs 1994 (last time US hosted). I994 Foreign-Born Population 22.6M was 8.7% of total US population of 269M. Estimate for foreign-born population in 2026 is 49-52M which is 14.8-15.4% of total US population 343M. Combine the massive foreign-born (Immigrants and their first-generation children) with the millennial and Gen Z that grew up with MLS and Premier League and mix in casual non-soccer sports fans that tune in for US national teams (Hockey, Gold Medal Basketball, World Baseball Classic) and voila, the numbers appear. The proverbial ball is now in hands of MLS (Apple) and how they can capitalize.

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- Rick James Bible Owner says:
  
  2 months ago
  
  The proverbial ball is now in hands of MLS (Apple) and how they can capitalize. It’s so much easier to follow foreign leagues that are more likely to scoop up any additional casual eyes than in 2010 when ESPN (and, tangentially NBC on the EPL, then Fox) got serious in presenting The Beautiful Game in a more palatable way (“Mine eyes have seen the glory‐‐‐the U.S. shocks Portugal,” Jack? I won’t even address Dave O’Brien). Even with Messi, Müller, Son & now Lewandowski over here, this World Cup has underlined where the true, in-prime a#$-kickers mostly are and that’s still not the MLS. “Support your local!” The closest MLS club to me is in Columbus, and I’m supporting SuperVolcano F.C. before anything Columbus, and DCFC is in USL League One with no chance of promotion up the ladder. Turning nationwide World Cup moisture into MLS rain *still* isn’t easy in this country. Vini Jr. & Bukayo Saka are in commercials outside of the WC that MLB players aren’t in, let alone Preston Judd or Brian White. The Premier League wasn’t gonna take off untill they left Fox Soccer Plus, and the MLS has some similar headwinds here for now.
  
  Reply
  - George Cooper says:
    
    2 months ago
    
    That is the dilemma for MLS to capitalize on this World Cup–the relative ease to watch the best leagues in Europe with the most attractive players compared to 1994. Today, Colin Cowherd suggested that these viewing numbers would translate into higher visibility for MLS. I’m not as sure. Maybe it helps the EPL more than MLS in the US viewing market. Relating this to my original post, MLS needs to turn the foreign-born population and their children into MLS viewers, or will a substantial % tune out MLS for traditional US football, NBA or MLB or perhaps watch EPL when viewing soccer and only come back to indigenous US soccer in World Cup, Copa Cup and some International friendlies.
    
    Reply
    - Rick James Bible Owner says:
      
      2 months ago
      
      Usually a domestic league that survives for a generation (~20 years) should have enough seeds planted for perennial fans to become indoctrinated in the customs and intrinsic fandom already instilled without any outside stimuli (jumping on a bandwagon, following a sport for one particular cause celebre). Turns out the MLS and WNBA had (or have) the same problem until Caitlin Clark came around. Messi, as much of a rainmaker as he is, won’t continue to draw people to the MLS after he retires as Clark can as a younger, in her prime rainmaker will until she’s roughed up out of the WNBA. Easy access is key as well. The Premier League pre-2013 used to be confined to Fox Soccer Plus, with random Piers Morgan appearances for big Arsenal matches and scattered availability. “What a winner by Andreas Weimann! (Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham, 10 March 2012) Want to see it? Wait until Sunday at 10 PM EST on Fox Soccer Plus for the full replay or the Premier League Review Show Monday night!” Screw that. (peacock would do this to me in 2021 when Ademola Lookman daggered Liverpool and earned a hard fought win for Leicester, but that was because they waited 36 hours (!) to add the replay of matches that were on NBCSN (at that time) instead of instantly like ESPN+ or Paramount+). The combination of easier, cheaper access to games (in person and/or online) or a supernatural younger star would grow the MLS game faster, i.e. if an Endrick came here to dominate here before going to Europe. A long time ago, that was supposed to be Freddy Adu. More recent attempts were Miguel Almiron or Thiago Almada, with varying results…..
    - Richard says:
      
      2 months ago
      
      Even after Messi retires, MLS can always pull in more stars. Mbappe and Kane. Later on, Haaland, Vini Jr., and Bellingham. Later on Yamal.
    - Richard says:
      
      2 months ago
      
      Some will watch MLS, but this is why I think that MLS, once it switches to a fall-spring schedule, should schedule its first regular season/kick-off game the same weekend as the title game for the WC/CWC/ Euro/Copa America/WWC (depending on the year) to capitalize. Those title games are always on a Sunday with the 3rd place game on the day before. Schedule the MLS kickoff game between the previous season’s MLS Cup winner and Supporter’s Shield winner on either that Saturday night (so with the 3rd place game as a lead-in) or that Friday night.
    - Sean says:
      
      1 month ago
      
      The MLS chose a quick buck over long term growth with the Apple deal. They honestly deserve not capitalize on the World Cup, they knew it would be a once in a generation boost for them and yet they still chose to lock away their product behind a paywall.
ds says:

2 months ago

Thank you for the data. I hope FOX will release Mexico-England numbers and Telemundo will release USMNT-Belgium numbers. Soccer in the US is consumed roughly 50-50 in English and Spanish, so combined FOX plus NBCU numbers are of particular interest

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Jeff says:

2 months ago

Jon, Were you surpised with the rating last night?

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Sean says:

2 months ago

Jon, is there any chance we’d see any match-only figures down the road? I’d put money on the pre-game hour being about a third of the actual match window, so in this instance the match window would be 38-39 million viewers, and if you add the Telemundo figures it’s gonna be well over 50 million which is NFL conference finals territory.

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- Jon Lewis says:
  
  2 months ago
  
  Depends — sometimes those surface. But will be the choice of Fox or Nielsen as to whether those become public.
  
  Reply
- Richard says:
  
  2 months ago
  
  It doesn’t seem that low (which surprised me too). In one of these soccer posts, someone compared the total viewership average that included the pre-game with the match-only average and the difference was less than a million viewers.
  
  Reply
Jeff says:

2 months ago

Jon, How does that rating compare to a NFL playoff game??]

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- Jon Lewis says:
  
  2 months ago
  
  Let me see what the final viewership figure is before making that comp. But right now, would rank middle of the pack among this year’s six Wild Card round games.
  
  Reply
  - Jon Lewis says:
    
    2 months ago
    
    (And of course if you add in Telemundo, you’re getting to the top-level Wild Card/Divisional audiences on record.)
    
    Reply