This summer’s FIFA World Cup was a complex logistical event with three host nations, 16 stadiums, 48 teams, and 104 matches, presenting numerous potential pitfalls both in and out of the stadium.
However, looking back, a significant number of things went well, highlighted by record viewership for Spain‘s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final held on Sunday.
The championship was co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, who hosted the world’s premier soccer event for almost six weeks, and thankfully, most of the excitement remained on the field.
According to Fox, the final match attracted 38.937 million viewers, peaking at 51.685 million, making it the most-watched English-language soccer broadcast in U.S. history, as reported by Nielsen Media Research.
Telemundo’s early estimates for its Spanish-language coverage indicated a total audience of 22.6 million, pushing the overall U.S. viewership past 60 million.
Prominent players like Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé from France, and Norway‘s Erling Haaland gained immense popularity across North America. U.S. viewership remained robust even after the elimination of the American team, and stadiums generally saw good attendance despite high ticket prices.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his admiration for the host nations on Sunday.
Fox successfully broadcasted all 104 matches across its platforms, maintaining strong American viewership after the U.S. was knocked out by Belgium in the round of 16.
Spanish-language broadcasts on Telemundo also saw significant interest, drawing even non-Spanish speakers.
On average, Fox saw 7.737 million viewers for the 104 matches aired on Fox, FS1, and Tubi, a notable increase from 3.588 million in 2022 and 2.77 million in 2018.
While Nielsen’s viewership figures shed light on the World Cup final’s popularity, they may not accurately represent the total audience, as many fans watched in group settings such as watch parties. To address this, Nielsen expanded its out-of-home measurement in 2025 to provide a more precise count.
Despite some early challenges, attendance at the stadiums remained strong across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
“We have achieved a record number of stadium spectators, approaching 7 million,” Infantino stated. “We anticipate official figures soon, but we expect over 6 billion people have watched the tournament from home.”
This year’s World Cup featured the largest field in the tournament’s history, with 48 teams competing.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.