USMNT's World Cup opener draws 24.886 million viewers, a record for the team.
The United States Men's National Team's opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 12, 2026, was watched by 24.886 million viewers across English and Spanish-language broadcasts, according to preliminary data from Nielsen. The match, played at SoFi Stadium, saw the US defeat Paraguay with a score of 4-1.
Viewership Breakdown
The total audience of 24.886 million was composed of:
- 15.986 million viewers on English-language networks (Fox, Fox One, and Tubi).
- 8.9 million viewers on Spanish-language platforms (Telemundo, Peacock, and Telemundo streaming).
The English-language audience peaked at 18.860 million viewers between 10:45 PM and 11 PM ET.
Comparative Context
The viewership for this single match surpassed the average audiences for the entire final series of other major US sporting events in 2025 and 2026:
- The first four games of the 2025 NBA Finals averaged 19.6 million viewers.
- The 2025 World Series averaged 15.863 million viewers.
- The first four games of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final averaged 5.0 million viewers.
Record Performance
The broadcast set records for the USMNT. The 15.986 million English-language viewers represent a 106% increase compared to the USMNT's first group stage match at the 2022 World Cup (US vs. Wales, 7.763 million viewers on November 21, 2022). The 8.9 million Spanish-language viewers represent a 156% increase over that same 2022 match (3.5 million viewers). The match also became the USMNT's most streamed English-language match, with an average minute audience of 1.130 million.
Upcoming Schedule
The USMNT is scheduled to play its next match against Australia on Friday, June 19, at Lumen Field in Seattle at 3:00 p.m. ET. Analysts note that viewership figures could increase if the US team advances to the knockout stage.