World Cup 2026 Smashes Broadcast Records As More Than 54 Million Tune In Across Host Nations

The FIFA World Cup 2026™ has made a record-breaking start, with more than 54 million viewers across Canada, Mexico and the United States watching the opening matches involving the tournament’s three host nations.

According to FIFA, the unprecedented television audiences underline the growing popularity of football across North America and the unique appeal of the first FIFA World Cup to be jointly hosted by three countries.

The biggest audience was generated by the United States’ opening match against Paraguay, which attracted a combined average audience of 27.5 million viewers across FOX and Telemundo. FIFA said the fixture became the most-watched World Cup match ever broadcast in the United States.

The match also set several national records. FOX registered the largest audience for a FIFA Men’s World Cup match in the history of English-language broadcasting in the country, while the game became the most-streamed English-language United States men’s national team World Cup match on record.

Telemundo also reported landmark figures, delivering the most-watched United States men’s national team World Cup match ever shown on Spanish-language television, as well as the most-watched World Cup group-stage match not involving Mexico in Spanish-language broadcast history.

Mexico’s opening victory over South Africa generated another major audience milestone. The match attracted an average of 23.4 million viewers, making it the country’s most-watched FIFA World Cup match of the 21st century.

The encounter achieved a remarkable 72.1 per cent television market share, meaning nearly three out of every four television viewers in Mexico were watching El Tri’s opening fixture. The game also proved popular in the United States, drawing approximately 20 million viewers and becoming the most-watched Spanish-language World Cup opening match in US television history.

Canada’s opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina also recorded strong numbers. An average audience of 3.1 million viewers across English and French-language broadcasters made it the third most-watched World Cup match involving Canada’s men’s national team this century.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the figures as historic and said they demonstrated football’s power to unite people across borders.

“What we are witnessing here is truly historic,” Infantino said. “More than 54 million people across Canada, Mexico and the United States watched their respective nations’ opening matches, shattering records and showing how football is truly uniting the world.”

He added that the tournament was about far more than viewing figures, pointing to the atmosphere inside packed stadiums and the celebrations taking place across the host countries.

More than one million supporters have already attended matches in person, while television audiences continue to reach new heights, providing further evidence of the strong engagement surrounding a tournament that is already making history both on and off the pitch.