​Lionel Messi broke another record at the 2026 World Cup.The semifinals match on Wednesday, July 15 where Argentina beat England 2-1 to advance to their second straight final was watched by an average of 15.063 million fans, according to FOX, with a peak viewership of 22.177 million. This was the largest audience for a World Cup semifinals English language telecast in United States broadcast history. The match was also FOX’s most-watched telecast for a Wednesday afternoon program ever.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis number was up 131% compared to the 2022 World Cup semifinals, when an average of 6.531 million fans tuned in to watch France vs. Morocco and Argentina vs. Croatia.The other semifinals match on Tuesday, July 14 where Spain ousted France 2-0 was reportedly watched by 11.462 million fans on FOX, up 76% from the last tournament.Earlier in this summer’s World Cup, the USMNT’s round of 16 match against Belgium was watched by 30 million people. It was the largest audience for a soccer broadcast in U.S. history.1 / 85Argentina’s forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates after his team won the 2026 World Cup football tournament semi-final match against England at the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta on July 15, 2026.(JEWEL SAMAD, AFP via Getty Images)In comparison, the largest viewership for a Super Bowl was an estimated audience of 127.7 million fans for Super Bowl 59 when the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the journey to defend the 2022 title at this tournament, Messi became the all-time World Cup scorer and now has 21 goals. His sixth competition is also a record, tied with Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa. The 39-year-old superstar scored in the most consecutive World Cup matches with a goal in nine straight fixtures.Argentina and Spain will face off in the World Cup final at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Argentina vs. England World Cup semifinals match shatters viewership record