FOX reports massive, record-shattering ratings for 2026 FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, galore doubters astir the satellite and wrong sports media, claimed that the United States would beryllium a disastrous host.

That hosting the tourney nether President Donald Trump would mean less planetary visitors, and that the US shouldn't big due to the fact that shot was inactive a niche home sport. And surprise, surprise, turns retired those concerns were wholly invalid.

Attendance broke records earlier the extremity of the radical stage. Visitors flowed into the US from astir the world, past gave glowing reviews to their hosts, stadiums, and section fans. Some were adjacent flooded with emotion astatine the kindness they experienced successful the country.

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Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) stands adjacent to Spain's Pedri (20) during the World Cup last shot lucifer betwixt Spain and Argentina successful East Rutherford, N.J., adjacent New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The different concern? That fans wouldn't watch? Turns retired that could not person been wrong.

Already, successful the circular of 16, the lucifer betwixt the US Men's National Team and Belgium acceptable records for the astir watched English connection broadcast of a shot crippled successful the past of the country. The World Cup Final however, featured 2 teams that person small transportation to the United States: Spain and Argentina. Yes, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal added prima power, but rosters connected some sides did not emergence to the level of familiarity astir person with say, France oregon England.

And yet, Tuesday afternoon, FOX reported that ratings and viewership blew that USMNT-Belgium crippled retired of the water. The web announced that Spain-Argentina drew a whopping 38.937 cardinal viewers, peaking astatine astir 52 million. That shattered the grounds for most-watched English-language shot broadcast successful the country's history.

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino (right) with President Donald Trump arsenic Spain lifts the FIFA World Cup trophy aft the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final lucifer astatine New York New Jersey Stadium connected July 19, 2026 successful East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

Not lone that, but it represented the highest viewership for a non-Super Bowl sporting lawsuit since the Winter Olympics successful 1984. That's remarkable, and it shows however acold shot has travel successful the United States, and however involvement successful the World Cup has surged.

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It besides raises the anticipation that the US should beryllium considered a spot of rotating big for the tournament. If the tract expands to 64 teams, arsenic expected, fewer different countries person the existing infrastructure to big that galore games successful ample stadiums. And increasing the athletics successful the US is simply a cardinal extremity for FIFA.

Spain's guardant Ferran Torres celebrates scoring his team's archetypal extremity during the 2026 World Cup shot tourney last lucifer betwixt Spain and Argentina astatine the New York/New Jersey Stadium successful East Rutherford connected July 19, 2026. (FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images)

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Just ideate however precocious those numbers would beryllium successful a 2038 tournament, if the USMNT tin spell deeper into the tournament. Even reaching a World Cup final. Hopefully we won't person to ideate it.