World Cup 2026 Shatters US Television Records Sport By lines June 17, 2026 The 2026 World Cup opened with the largest US soccer audience ever measured. Fox and Telemundo drew 27.5 million combined viewers for the USMNT opener. The figure broke a record set at the 2014 World Cup final. Record US Audience Opens the 2026 World Cup USMNT beat Paraguay in the tournament opener. Fox aired the match in English across the United States. Telemundo aired the same match in Spanish. The broadcast averaged 27.5 million combined US viewers. Fox counted 18.037 million English-language viewers. Telemundo added 9.5 million Spanish-language viewers. The 27.5 million total topped the previous US soccer record. The 2014 World Cup final held that mark at 27.31 million. The 2026 opener cleared the old record by about 220,000 viewers. The USMNT match counted as a group-stage game. The combined audience still beat recent NBA, NFL, and MLB telecasts. Fox aired the USMNT opener on national broadcast television. The broadcast also streamed on Fox digital platforms. Telemundo and Peacock carried the Spanish-language broadcast. Telemundo’s 9.5 million viewers anchored the bilingual reach. Streaming platforms lifted both network totals further. The 2026 World Cup expanded to 48 teams for the first time. FIFA spread the matches across 16 North American host cities. The United States, Canada, and Mexico share hosting duties. Star power has fueled the early 2026 World Cup interest. Lionel Messi tied the all-time World Cup goals record at 16 this week. Lionel Messi is 38 years old at the tournament. Kylian MbappĂ© scored twice in the France debut. The Messi and MbappĂ© goals added to the broadcast momentum. Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 in another marquee result. Lionel Messi scored all three Argentina goals in that win. The USMNT win over Paraguay drove the peak US numbers. The viewership record reshapes the US sports media calendar this summer. The combined 27.5 million audience set a new US soccer ceiling. FIFA stages the 2026 World Cup final on July 19 in New Jersey. The tournament runs through mid-July across North America. Knockout matches typically draw larger US audiences than group games. USMNT plays Australia next with the Group D lead at stake. The USMNT opened the group with a win over Paraguay. A deeper USMNT run would push US ratings even higher. The 2026 World Cup features 104 matches across the tournament. Lionel Messi and Argentina continue their title defense this week. Fox and Telemundo carry every remaining 2026 World Cup match. Related Sports Coverage Messi Ties Klose’s All-Time World Cup Goal Record USMNT Meets Australia With Group D Top Spot at Stake Cape Verde Stuns Spain in World Cup Opener Reporting drawn from NBC Sports, Front Office Sports, and ESPN coverage of the 2026 World Cup broadcasts.
