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England's stunning victory over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 has etched itself into history as the most-watched soccer match ever recorded in the United States.
According to official figures, England's dramatic 3–2 triumph over El Tri on Sunday evening drew a combined audience of 23.2 million on Telemundo and an additional 21.7 million on Fox. That amounts to nearly 50 million viewers across both official broadcasts — an unparalleled figure for a soccer match in U.S. broadcasting history.
The viewership totals even surpassed the combined audience for the USMNT vs. Belgium match held the following day. Approximately 42 million viewers across Telemundo and Fox tuned in to watch Belgium eliminate the USMNT from the World Cup on Monday night.
England ranks among the most compelling draws in international soccer throughout the U.S., and Mexico is widely regarded as a rival to the USMNT in terms of fan following, owing to the sizeable Mexican and Mexican-American population in the country — a fact underscored by Telemundo's Spanish-language broadcast attracting a greater share of viewers.
It's no surprise that the thrilling nature of the match itself — widely regarded as one of, if not the finest game of the 2026 World Cup to date — also played a significant role in driving those numbers.
World Cup Viewership Rivaling NFL Games in the U.S.
Both Mexico vs. England and the USMNT vs. Belgium posted viewership figures comparable to those of the NFL's NFC and AFC Championship games in late January, according to The Independent.
The NFL conference championship games averaged an audience of 47 million in the U.S. No other sporting event across the major American leagues — MLB, NBA, NHL, or even NCAA Football — has come anywhere near that figure in decades.
Additionally, Mexico vs. England shattered the record for the most-watched non-USMNT World Cup match in history, previously held by the 16.7 million viewers who watched Argentina defeat France in the 2022 World Cup final, per AP.
These remarkable viewership figures underscore the growing prominence of soccer in the United States. And while the data shows more people watched England's win at the Azteca, the USMNT's clash with Belgium also carved out a record of its own.
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USMNT vs. Belgium Sets Remarkable Viewership Record
The USMNT vs. Belgium fixture became the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history, with Fox reporting an audience of just over 33 million viewers on its broadcast, per the network.
That extraordinary figure made the round of 16 showdown at Lumen Field the second-most watched telecast of the year in the U.S., trailing only Super Bowl LX in February, in which the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots to claim the NFL championship.
The records didn't end there. The match also became the most-watched non-NFL broadcast on any U.S. network since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the now-named Cleveland Guardians. Just over 40 million viewers witnessed the Cubs end a 108-year World Series drought in one of the most iconic MLB games of the 21st century.
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Despite the USMNT bowing out of the tournament with a heavy 4–1 defeat to Belgium, the viewership numbers reflect just how deeply the nation rallied behind the team throughout its World Cup campaign.
With the 2026 World Cup's most dramatic moments still to come, it wouldn't be at all surprising if further U.S. viewership records fall over the next week and a half.