That record-setting U.S. TV audience for the game between the U.S. and Belgium? Not so fast.Preliminary audience numbers across both Telemundo and Fox are in for the dramatic matchup this past Sunday night between England and Mexico, with a total that will exceed U.S. vs. Belgium in the U.S. as the most-watched soccer game in U.S. history.More than 44 million people in the U.S. watched the Mexico vs. England game — a staggering 23.2 million total audience on Telemundo, along with the 21.742 million who watched on Fox.The 21.7 million watching on Fox made it the most-watched U.S. English-language World Cup telecast ever that didn’t feature the USMNT. (The 30 million viewers on Fox for the USMNT loss on Monday made it the most-watched English-language soccer game ever broadcast in the U.S. )But adding in the 23.2 million on Telemundo (now the most-watched Spanish-language soccer telecast in U.S. history) takes the total for Mexico vs. England to 44.8 million, beyond the 42 million estimated across Fox and Telemundo for the US-Belgium game.Keep in mind these preliminary numbers are likely only going to go up as the complete data picture is finalized by Nielsen across both networks, for both Sunday and Monday’s games.The atmosphere at the Azteca on Sunday was as intense as any in the 2026 tournament, featuring one team (England) with a relatively large fanbase in the U.S. and one team (Mexico) with an absolutely massive one. That is in addition to it being a dramatic round-of-16 knockout showdown, with England attempting to earn a win against a Mexico team that historically simply didn’t lose in that stadium.The audience on Fox peaked near the game’s thrilling conclusion at 25.715 viewers — with England, down to 10 men, attempting to hold a lead and hold off El Tri.Viewers in the U.S. have been tuning in en masse throughout the tournament, delivering audiences in the eight figures for a series of games. With some of the biggest brands still alive in the tournament, the four quarterfinal games will draw big numbers, if not any that will top Sunday’s game in Mexico City or Monday’s game in Seattle.France plays Morocco on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET and Spain-Belgium on Friday at 3 p.m. ET, followed by a two-game Saturday, including Norway vs. England (5 p.m. ET) and defending champ Argentina vs. Switzerland at 9 p.m. ET.The games featuring France and Spain will air in the afternoon across the U.S., making it unlikely the games come close to the heights of Mexico vs. England on Sunday, which aired in U.S. primetime. Saturday’s doubleheader — along with the star power of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Lionel Messi — has a better chance of securing the highest audience of the quarterfinals.Jul 9, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms