CORNERFLICK
The United States began the 2026 World Cup with a 4-1 win over Paraguay and a record television audience for a men’s national-team match in English-language coverage.
According to Nielsen, Fast Nationals, Adobe and Tubi, the game averaged about 16 million viewers. It was shown on Fox, Fox One and Tubi.
Viewership peaked at 18.9 million between 10:45pm and 11pm Eastern Time. That makes it the most watched US men’s international in English on record.
The previous benchmark came at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when the USA’s opening match against Wales averaged 7.8 million viewers. This latest figure represents a rise of 106 per cent.
The crowd numbers underline the attention the hosts can generate around next year’s tournament, while Pochettino’s side also gave supporters a strong start on the pitch with a clear win over Paraguay.