U.S.-Belgium World Cup Match Draws 42 Million Viewers, Beating NFL's 39.2 Million
Updated
Updated · NBC Sports · Jul 7
U.S.-Belgium World Cup Match Draws 42 Million Viewers, Beating NFL's 39.2 Million
3 articles · Updated · NBC Sports · Jul 7
Summary
42 million viewers watched Monday’s U.S.-Belgium World Cup Round of 16 match across Fox, Telemundo and Peacock, according to preliminary network figures.
30 million came from Fox’s English-language broadcast, while 12 million watched the Spanish-language feed on Telemundo and Peacock.
39.2 million was the average audience for the NFL’s divisional round in January 2026, leaving the World Cup match ahead of one of U.S. television’s strongest benchmarks.
The U.S. team’s exit is likely to depress ratings in later rounds, though the audience surge underscored soccer’s growing mainstream reach in the United States.