In a historic moment for soccer in the United States, nearly 63 million viewers tuned in to watch Spain triumph over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final. This remarkable viewership, recorded on Sunday, highlights the growing popularity of soccer in the U.S. following years of efforts to expand its audience.

Record-Breaking Viewership

The final, held in New Jersey, remained scoreless until Spain secured a goal in the 106th minute, clinching a 1-0 victory. Fox’s English-language broadcast attracted 38.9 million viewers, while Comcast’s Telemundo and its Peacock streaming service brought in an additional 23.9 million for Spanish-language coverage. This combined audience significantly surpassed the 22.3 million U.S. viewers who watched the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.

Strong Performance Across the Tournament

The impressive viewership figures capped a successful tournament for broadcasters, with Fox and Comcast reportedly investing around $485 million and $600 million, respectively, for their rights packages. Notably, several knockout-stage matches drew larger audiences than recent championship games in other major U.S. sports. For instance, the Round of 16 clash between England and Mexico attracted nearly 45 million viewers, outpacing the 27 million who watched Game 7 of the MLB World Series and the 25 million who tuned in for Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

While the viewership numbers fell short of the nearly 126 million who watched Super Bowl LX, they represent a significant achievement for soccer, a sport that has traditionally been overshadowed by American football, basketball, and baseball. The tournament, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico for the first time, benefited from prime-time kickoff slots that appealed to American audiences.