The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first men's World Cup in North America in 32 years, has kicked off with record-breaking TV audiences. The opening games of the United States and Mexico, two of the co-hosts, attracted a massive viewership, with the U.S. squad's 4-1 win over Paraguay averaging 25 million viewers across Fox, Telemundo, and Peacock. This is a significant increase from the 2022 World Cup, where the U.S.-England group stage game had 15.49 million viewers. The Mexico-South Africa match, which took place a day earlier, was watched by over 19 million viewers, making it the most-watched World Cup game on Spanish-language TV in the United States. On Telemundo and Peacock, the U.S.-Paraguay game averaged 8.9 million viewers, a record for the most-watched U.S. team World Cup game on Spanish-language TV. The Mexico-South Africa game attracted 12.1 million viewers on Telemundo and Peacock, making it the most-watched World Cup game ever on Spanish-language TV in the United States. On Fox and its streaming outlets, Mexico's win delivered 7.19 million viewers. These record-breaking audiences are a testament to the growing popularity of the World Cup in North America and the increasing interest in international football. The tournament is expected to draw even more viewers as the competition progresses, with the potential to become the most-watched World Cup in history. The success of the opening games is a positive sign for the future of the World Cup in North America, and it will be interesting to see how the tournament unfolds and whether it can maintain this level of viewership throughout.
