The United States’ showdown with Belgium on the world stage not only ended in a 4‑1 defeat but also rewrote American television history.
Fox Sports announced that the match attracted more than 30 million viewers, making it the most‑watched soccer telecast ever broadcast in the United States.
Record‑Breaking Numbers Across Platforms
The earlier encounter with Bosnia and Herzegovina also set benchmarks, pulling 26.4 million viewers on Fox and 9.8 million on Telemundo.
Across the tournament, Fox reported audiences exceeding 11 million for Portugal‑Croatia and over 10 million for Mexico‑Ecuador, while Telemundo’s Spanish‑language feed drew 23.1 million for Mexico‑England.
These figures underscore a growing appetite for soccer in the United States, a trend that broadcasters are eager to capitalize on as the sport’s popularity continues to rise.