A woman wearing a dress featuring the Senegal flag is pictured in Times Square ahead of the 2026 World Cup football match between France and Senegal in New York City.
More than 54 million people across Canada, Mexico and the United States tuned in to watch their nations kick off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns, shattering television records across the Americas.
The tournament has exploded into life both inside packed stadiums and in living rooms across North America, with opening matches involving the three host nations attracting unprecedented broadcast audiences.
The largest viewership of the opening round came from the United States' clash against Paraguay. The host nation's victory drew a combined average audience of 27.5 million viewers across FOX and Telemundo, making it the most-watched football match ever broadcast in US history.
The milestone reflects the growing influence of the game in a country traditionally dominated by American football, basketball and baseball. FOX reported its largest audience ever for a men's World Cup match in English, while Telemundo achieved its highest viewership for a United States men's national team fixture on Spanish-language television.
