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Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, many doubters around the world and in sports media claimed that the United States would be a disastrous host.
Hosting the tournament under President Donald Trump would mean fewer international visitors and that the United States should not host because soccer was still a niche domestic sport. And surprise, surprise, it turns out those worries were completely unfounded.
Attendance broke records before the end of the group stage. Visitors flocked to the United States from all over the world and then gave rave reviews to their hosts, stadiums and local fans. Some were even overcome with emotion at the kindness they experienced in the country.
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Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) stands next to Spain’s Pedri (20) during the World Cup soccer final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The other concern? That fans didn’t want to see? Turns out it couldn’t have been wrong.
Already in the round of 16, the match between the US men’s national team and Belgium set records for the most watched English-language broadcast of a football match in the country’s history. However, the World Cup final featured two teams that have little connection to the United States: Spain and Argentina. Yes, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal added star power, but rosters on either side didn’t reach the level of familiarity most have with say, France or England.
And yet, on Tuesday afternoon, FOX reported that ratings and ratings blew that USMNT-Belgium game out of the water. The network announced that Spain-Argentina drew a whopping 38.937 million viewers, peaking at nearly 52 million. It broke the record for the most watched English-language football broadcast in the country’s history.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino (R) with President Donald Trump as Spain lift the FIFA World Cup trophy after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Not only that, but it represented the highest viewership for a non-Super Bowl sporting event since the 1984 Winter Olympics. That’s remarkable, and it shows how far soccer has come in the United States and how much interest in the World Cup has grown.
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It also raises the possibility that the United States will be considered a bit of a rotating host for the tournament. If the field expands to 64 teams, as expected, few other countries have the existing infrastructure to host so many matches in large stadiums. And growing the sport in the US is a key goal for FIFA.
Spain’s forward Ferran Torres celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the 2026 World Cup soccer tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
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Just imagine how high those numbers would be in a 2038 tournament if the USMNT can go deeper into the tournament. Even reach a WC final. Hopefully we won’t have to imagine that.
