Nearly 16 million Americans tuned in to watch the US Men’s National Team dismantle Paraguay 4-1 in the opening round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Fox Sports confirmed the match drew 15.986 million viewers, making it the most-watched USMNT FIFA Men’s World Cup telecast in English-language US history.
That figure matters well beyond the pitch. The 2026 World Cup is the most crypto-saturated sporting event ever staged, and the industry just learned that its target audience is showing up in record numbers.
The numbers behind the noise
The June 12 match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles drew an in-person crowd of 70,492. It was the first World Cup match played on American soil since 1994.
This tournament features 48 teams playing 104 matches across a window stretching from June 11 to July 19. Projected cumulative viewership is expected to exceed 5 billion globally.
