Rabat – Nearly 63 million viewers across the United States watched Spain defeat Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, setting a new viewership record in a country where the sport has historically competed for attention with American football, basketball, and baseball.
The final was played in New Jersey and remained goalless after 90 minutes. Spain scored in the 106th minute to win the match in extra time.
According to Al Jazeera, Fox’s English-language broadcast attracted 38.9 million viewers, while 23.9 million watched the Spanish-language coverage on Telemundo and Peacock.
A much higher combined audience with 22,3 million Americans who watched the 2002 world cup final in Qatar.
These numbers marked a successful tournament for the broadcasters. Fox and Comcast reportedly paid around $485 million and $600 million, respectively, for broadcasting rights that included the World Cup.
The numbers included several knockout-stage matches that also attracted large audiences. The round of 16 match between England and Mexico drew nearly 45 million viewers, more than the 27 million who watched Game 7 of the MLB World Series and the nearly 25 million who watched Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
The 2026 World Cup was cohosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, where the matches were played at times more suitable for the US audience, while the competitiveness of the games and multiple stars who put the action in the field helped attract more viewership.
The US last hosted the World Cup in 1994, where the Moroccan national team was in Group F with Belgium, Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia. Back then, the Atlas Lions lost all three knockout games and were eliminated in the first round.
Fox broadcast all 104 matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in English, and viewership remained strong even after the US was eliminated by Belgium in the round of 16 on July 6.
Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, will co-host the 2030 World Cup, while Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 edition. Less favourable kickoff times for US audiences could affect viewership in the coming tournaments.
