The U.S. men’s national soccer team recently achieved a historic milestone during their match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nielsen’s preliminary reports reveal that the Fox broadcast averaged 24.43 million viewers. This number peaked at 31.88 million near the game’s end. These figures set a new benchmark for English-language soccer broadcasts in U.S. history.
Previously, the record was held by the 2015 Women’s World Cup final between the U.S. and Japan, which had an average viewership of 22.32 million, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, Telemundo’s Spanish broadcast of the match added another 9.1 million viewers. This brings the total viewership to an unprecedented 33.53 million for a soccer match broadcast in the United States.
This World Cup has consistently surpassed viewership records since its commencement. The U.S. team attempted to secure their first knockout stage victory since 2002. They aimed to recover from a prior loss to Turkey, which marked the end of the group stage.
On the other hand, Bosnia and Herzegovina hoped to upset the U.S. by advancing from Group B as a third-place team. Their ambition was to eliminate the U.S. on home ground. Despite their efforts, the U.S. achieved a 2-0 victory. However, the match was not without controversy.
Folarin Balogun, a key striker for the U.S., received a controversial red card. This decision forced the U.S. to play with one fewer player for the last 25 minutes. Additionally, Balogun is now ineligible to participate in the upcoming Round of 16 match against Belgium.