Spain's World Cup win over Argentina sets US TV audience record of 63 million

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final, in which Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time, set a new record for the most watched soccer match in US television history. An average of 63 million US viewers tuned in across Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish), according to Nielsen, nearly tripling the audience of the 2022 final Source: lavozar, excelsiormx, hoydo.

US TV records

Fox's English-language broadcast averaged 38.9 million viewers, with a peak of 51.7 million during extra time. The Spanish-language broadcast on Telemundo and Peacock added 23.9 million (though some sources report 22.6 million Source: eldiado). This total surpasses the previous US soccer record set earlier in the tournament by the US vs. Belgium match (46 million) and far exceeds the 25.8 million that watched the 2022 final Source: infobae, excelsiormx.

Spanish audience

In Spain, the final was a national phenomenon. It averaged 15.7 million viewers (87.1% share) across RTVE and DAZN, with 20.1 million unique viewers. The extra time period was the second most watched broadcast in Spanish history, behind only the 2012 Euro penalty shootout Source: lavanguardia, abces, elmundoes. The minute of peak interest (00:01) drew 17.1 million viewers and a 91.2% share Source: elconfidencial, elespanol.

Attendance

Total in-stadium attendance for the tournament reached a record 6.81 million, nearly double the 1994 World Cup, with the MetLife Stadium hosting the final Source: diariolibree. The FIFA Fan Festivals attracted an additional 7.7 million Source: diariolibree.