USMNT Sets FIFA World Cup English-Language Telecast Record With 16M Viewers For Win Over Paraguay - Deadline
The USMNT's opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Paraguay set record-breaking viewership numbers for both English and Spanish-language broadcasts. The game reached nearly 25 million total viewers across various platforms.
Why it matters
The record viewership underscores the growing popularity of soccer in the United States and the commercial success of hosting the tournament on home soil.
UPDATED : Pulisic, Balogun & Co. s heroics at Los Angeles SoFi Stadium made World Cup television history. The U.S. Men s National Soccer Team s opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup became Team USA s most watched English-language and Spanish-language World Cup telecast ever.
The article relies on Nielsen data and official network reports to document viewership milestones.
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