Fans watch the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at the Brooklyn Bridge park party in New York on Sunday. | Imagn Images / via Reuters
Jul 22, 2026
Nearly 63 million Americans tuned in to watch Spain beat Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, shattering viewership records and underscoring soccer’s growing appeal in the U.S. after decades of efforts to broaden its audience. Held in New Jersey, the final remained scoreless until Spain broke through in the 106th minute to secure a 1-0 victory.
Fox’s English-language broadcast attracted 38.9 million viewers, while Comcast’s Telemundo and its Peacock streaming platform pulled in another 23.9 million viewers for the Spanish-language coverage, the companies said. The combined audience far exceeded the 22.3 million U.S. viewers who watched the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
The strong viewership capped what analysts said was a solid run for the tournament’s broadcasters, with Fox and Comcast paying roughly $485 million and $600 million, respectively, for rights packages that included the World Cup, according to media reports.
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