The U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup run ended Monday night in Seattle, where Belgium beat the Americans 4-1 in the round of 16, eliminating the last of the tournament’s three co-hosts. The loss still made history: It the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history, with the audience peaking at more than 36.8 million viewers between 9:15 and 9:30 p.m. ET., according to Fox, which said 30 million people watched the match. That topped the previous American soccer ratings record, set just a week earlier by the U.S.-Bosnia and Herzegovina match, which drew 26.4 million viewers.
That kind of fan support is evidence for Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin, a soccer obsessive who personally had a hand in bringing star coach Mauricio Pochettino to the men’s national team, someone whom many consider is the reason why this is the first time in 24 years (and second in the team’s history) the Americans have won a World Cup knockout match. Getting there took a coach U.S. Soccer couldn’t otherwise afford, and that only happened thanks to help from the billionaire.
“I’m pleased to see the progress the U.S. Men’s National Team has made under Mauricio’s leadership and the excitement this World Cup has generated across America,” Griffin told Fortune following the results of Monday night’s loss. “I look forward to building on that momentum in the coming years.”
