Nearly 39 million people watched Spain's win over Argentina in the World Cup final, setting U.S. record
The 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina set a new U.S. viewership record with nearly 39 million viewers on Fox. The match, which saw Spain secure a 1-0 victory, outperformed previous soccer telecasts and major sporting events.
Why it matters
The record-breaking viewership numbers indicate a significant growth in the popularity of soccer within the United States market.
Ryan Young Staff writer Tue, July 21, 2026 at 10:42 PM UTC · 2 min read A historic number of people in the United States tuned in to watch Spain's 1-0 win over Argentina to win the World Cup on Sunday afternoon.
Fox announced Tuesday that 38.937 million people watched Spain's win in the World Cup final, which made it the most-watched soccer telecast in United States history. The game peaked at just more than 51.6 million viewers.
Peacock and Telemundo averaged a combined 22.6 million viewers for the game. Combined, that brings the total up to about 61. 5 million viewers in the United States.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in