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Rabat – Matches involving Arab national teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup attracted more than 2.1 billion in cumulative viewership across the Middle East and North Africa, according to figures released by beIN Sports.
The broadcaster said the 29 games featuring Arab teams produced unprecedented regional audiences, with Morocco and Egypt’s historic knockout-stage runs drawing some of the tournament’s largest numbers.
Morocco’s quarter-final against France attracted 151.6 million viewers despite kicking off at 11 p.m. Mecca time, according to independent audience measurement conducted by Ipsos.
In Morocco, beIN said 97% of the country’s adult population watched the match, which ended with France defeating the Atlas Lions 2-0.
Morocco makes World Cup history again
Morocco became the first African and Arab country to reach the World Cup quarter-finals in two consecutive editions, building on its historic semi-final appearance in Qatar in 2022.
The Atlas Lions began their 2026 campaign with a 1-1 draw against five-time champions Brazil, watched by 75.5 million people despite its 1 a.m. Mecca-time kickoff.
Morocco then eliminated the Netherlands in the round of 32, with 81.1 million viewers following the match.
Their 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada in the round of 16 attracted 149 million viewers, making it the fourth-most-watched game involving an Arab team during the tournament.
Morocco and Egypt also became the first two Arab nations to reach the round of 16 at the same World Cup.
Egypt-Argentina draws tournament’s largest Arab audience
Egypt’s round-of-16 match against Argentina recorded the highest audience of any game involving an Arab team, attracting 192.6 million viewers.
The Pharaohs led the defending champions 2-0 before Argentina completed a late comeback to win 3-2.
According to beIN, 94% of Egypt’s adult population watched the match.
Egypt had already made history by recording their first World Cup victory with a 3-1 win over New Zealand before defeating Australia to secure their first knockout-stage win and reach the last 16 for the first time.
Their match against Australia attracted 157.1 million viewers, the second-highest figure among Arab-team games.
Eight Arab teams compete
A record eight Arab countries participated in the expanded 48-team tournament: Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.
Algeria reached the knockout stage, with 123.1 million viewers watching their round-of-32 match against Switzerland at 6 a.m. Mecca time.
World Cup debutants Jordan scored in each of their three group matches, including against Argentina. That game attracted 65 million viewers and was attended by Jordan’s King Abdullah II.
Qatar also secured their first World Cup point by drawing with Switzerland, while matches involving Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the other Arab representatives generated significant audiences despite several early-morning kickoff times.
beIN said the tournament’s 23 group-stage matches involving Arab teams attracted a combined 1.25 billion viewers, averaging more than 54 million per game.
The six knockout matches produced a cumulative audience of 854 million, with an average of more than 142 million per fixture.
‘Achievements that belong to the entire region’
Mohammed Al-Bader, Managing Director of beIN Channels in the MENA region, described the tournament as a historic moment for Arab football.
He said the participation of eight Arab teams, Egypt’s first appearance in the round of 16 and Morocco’s consecutive quarter-final runs were achievements shared across the region.
“The record audiences that followed them tell their own story about the passion of our fans,” Al-Bader said.
beIN Sports broadcast every match of the tournament live across 24 MENA markets, providing coverage in Arabic, English and French through eight dedicated channels.
The figures underline the growing regional interest in international football and the strong connection between Arab supporters and their national teams, even when matches were played in North America at difficult viewing hours.
