Record Audiences for the World Cup in the US Shows Interest in Foreign Teams*
Fox announced that more than 100 million Americans watched at least one game across multiple platforms
Telemundo, which transmits in Spanish, is also celebrating its viewing figures among Hispanic audiences
American attention to the World Cup exceeded even the expectations of optimists. When the first national teams and groups of journalists started to disembark in the host cities, the impression was one of general indifference.
But the record viewership numbers for the live broadcasts show a vast public tuning into matches featuring foreign teams. For a country which dubbed baseball’s national championship the “World Series,” a sport mostly ignored by the rest of the world, that insularity appears to be reversing.
The game between France and Morocco this Thursday could confirm the trend, now that the American team has been eliminated.
Even Telemundo, which broadcasts the World Cup in Spanish, is celebrating, and its commentators, who pronounce Brazil “Brasiu” (as Brazilians pronounce their country’s name) are showing a greater understanding of the sport. Yes, Telemundo already had a most loyal soccer audience among Hispanics.
Fox, which had more than double the average audience for broadcasts in English of the World Cup games, announced at the beginning of the week that more than 100 million Americans watched at least one of the games on multiple platforms.
To give one an idea, the final game of the Super Bowl in February 2025 had a record audience, on TV and online, of 127 million in the U.S. Beyond being the sport with the largest audiences in the country, American football traditionally invests heavily in the finals, attracting artists like Bad Bunny to the halftime show and movie stars for the commercials.
For this Carioca (native of Rio de Janeiro), the experience of watching on Fox is frustrating. The noise of the stadium crowds is amplified to the point of overshadowing the voices of the commentators, whose style still betrays a certain lack of familiarity and passion for the sport, which they insist on calling “soccer.”
Sadly, for one who was taken as a child to the Maracana stadium — seeking a spectacle on the grass — and not in big screens and pyrotechnics, it seems the manic distractions that mark professional sports in the U.S. have come to stay for soccer.
The unexpected popularity of this World Cup, which included a great number of “watch parties” — live outdoor broadcasts — may reveal more than just a dormant and underserved soccer audience. The U.S. became the first host nation to bomb a participating country during the tournament, and they made clear to the Iranian team that they were not welcome.
A Somalian referee was expelled and the intervention of House Democratic leader Hakkeem Jeffries was needed to allow the mother of goal-keeper Vozinha from Cabo Verde to enter the country. The World Cup began in this climate of official animosity to foreigners that could have convinced many not to travel to the United States.
But, as we saw in various cities, the fraternal interaction among fans from dozens of countries and the local public reminded us that isolationism is not the dominate sentiment among 349 million Americans.
After the United States’ defeat against Belgium, which drew an audience of 42 million viewers in English and Spanish, news reporters outside the Seattle stadium encountered fans with an energy that I certainly didn’t perceive in the U.S. at the 1994 World Cup.
Various young fans, with faces painted red, white and blue, waved confidently at the cameras, saying “See you in 2030.” It remains to be seen if (insert adjective here) Gianni Infantino will last that long at the helm of FIFA.
*Editor's note: This article is available in its original language with a paid subscription.
Telemundo, which transmits in Spanish, is also celebrating its viewing figures among Hispanic audiences
American attention to the World Cup exceeded even the expectations of optimists. When the first national teams and groups of journalists started to disembark in the host cities, the impression was one of general indifference.
But the record viewership numbers for the live broadcasts show a vast public tuning into matches featuring foreign teams. For a country which dubbed baseball’s national championship the “World Series,” a sport mostly ignored by the rest of the world, that insularity appears to be reversing.
The game between France and Morocco this Thursday could confirm the trend, now that the American team has been eliminated.
Even Telemundo, which broadcasts the World Cup in Spanish, is celebrating, and its commentators, who pronounce Brazil “Brasiu” (as Brazilians pronounce their country’s name) are showing a greater understanding of the sport. Yes, Telemundo already had a most loyal soccer audience among Hispanics.
Fox, which had more than double the average audience for broadcasts in English of the World Cup games, announced at the beginning of the week that more than 100 million Americans watched at least one of the games on multiple platforms.
To give one an idea, the final game of the Super Bowl in February 2025 had a record audience, on TV and online, of 127 million in the U.S. Beyond being the sport with the largest audiences in the country, American football traditionally invests heavily in the finals, attracting artists like Bad Bunny to the halftime show and movie stars for the commercials.
For this Carioca (native of Rio de Janeiro), the experience of watching on Fox is frustrating. The noise of the stadium crowds is amplified to the point of overshadowing the voices of the commentators, whose style still betrays a certain lack of familiarity and passion for the sport, which they insist on calling “soccer.”
Sadly, for one who was taken as a child to the Maracana stadium — seeking a spectacle on the grass — and not in big screens and pyrotechnics, it seems the manic distractions that mark professional sports in the U.S. have come to stay for soccer.
The unexpected popularity of this World Cup, which included a great number of “watch parties” — live outdoor broadcasts — may reveal more than just a dormant and underserved soccer audience. The U.S. became the first host nation to bomb a participating country during the tournament, and they made clear to the Iranian team that they were not welcome.
A Somalian referee was expelled and the intervention of House Democratic leader Hakkeem Jeffries was needed to allow the mother of goal-keeper Vozinha from Cabo Verde to enter the country. The World Cup began in this climate of official animosity to foreigners that could have convinced many not to travel to the United States.
But, as we saw in various cities, the fraternal interaction among fans from dozens of countries and the local public reminded us that isolationism is not the dominate sentiment among 349 million Americans.
After the United States’ defeat against Belgium, which drew an audience of 42 million viewers in English and Spanish, news reporters outside the Seattle stadium encountered fans with an energy that I certainly didn’t perceive in the U.S. at the 1994 World Cup.
Various young fans, with faces painted red, white and blue, waved confidently at the cameras, saying “See you in 2030.” It remains to be seen if (insert adjective here) Gianni Infantino will last that long at the helm of FIFA.
*Editor's note: This article is available in its original language with a paid subscription.
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