The USMNT is into the last 16 of the World Cup after Malik Tillman's goal helped the tournament co-hosts beat Bosnia Wednesday. Charlotte Wilson / Getty ImagesJuly 2, 2026 Updated 5:23 pm EDTThe preliminary U.S. audience numbers are in for the USMNT’s dramatic knockout win Wednesday over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the results are predictably unprecedented.Initial data from Nielsen is in, and the game drew 24.43 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched English-language soccer telecast in U.S. history.Telemundo reported 9.1 million total viewers over the game window, putting the game on track to be the most-watched Spanish-language soccer telecast in U.S. history once Nielsen determines the average.A combined average of 30-plus million U.S. viewers would make it one of the most-watched U.S. TV events of the year, rivaled only by the NFL playoffs and the State of the Union address.As Nielsen finalizes its accounting, that number will likely increase, for both networks, reflecting all of the inputs that Nielsen uses, including “out of home” viewing, a methodology shift over the past year that has contributed to consistently superlative TV ratings across sports.TV ratings in the U.S. throughout the World Cup have been topping historical norms, thanks to the North American locations, U.S.-friendly kickoff times and compelling individual star power. Monday’s round-of-32 game between Netherlands and Morocco drew 10.58 million viewers to Fox, making it the most-watched English-language World Cup game in the U.S. not featuring the USMNT or a World Cup final matchup.To be sure, the U.S. win on Thursday was also helped by a primetime kickoff at 8 p.m. ET and a tense game that saw the U.S. take a 1-0 lead, lose its top goal-scorer Folarin Balogun to a red card, then battle 10-vs-11 for the remainder of the game, which included a scintillating goal on a free kick by Malik Tillman to clinch the win.The U.S. will play Belgium in the round of 16 on Monday night on Fox and Telemundo, with the same 8 p.m. ET kickoff. Expect this new audience record to last until then.