​The World Cup stands apart from any other sporting event, and the United States has clearly joined the soccer wave. Viewership surged as the USMNT advanced, reaching levels that rival most non-NFL broadcasts of the last decade. According to The Guardian, the quarterfinal showdown with Belgium drew 33.1 million viewers, the largest audience of the 2020s by a wide margin. In an era when younger generations increasingly flock online and to smaller screens, these numbers are particularly striking.
The top five single-network telecasts highlight a broader trend: the strongest figures come from events rooted in prior years, with the exception of the 2026 World Cup match. The list shows:
1) 2016 World Series Game 7 — 40.0 million
2) 2016 Summer Olympics Night 4, primetime — 33.4 million
3) 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal, US vs. Belgium, Round of 16 — 33.1 million
4) 2017 89th Academy Awards — 33.0 million
5) 2016 Summer Olympics Night 6, primetime — 31.2 million
Sports historians recognize the Chicago Cubs’ 2016 World Series victory as a landmark moment at the very top of American viewership charts. It remains one of the most memorable games in the annals of U.S. sports. The Olympic nights, particularly in 2016, surprised many by drawing enormous audiences even as track-and-field dominance in Rio had many watching the Games across a broad spectrum of events.
The Oscars moment in 2017 is often cited as one of the most awkward in ceremony history: La La Land was misannounced as Best Picture, only for the producers to yield to Moonlight after the mistake had begun, creating a reminder that even prestigious nights can veer into uncomfortable territory.
The inclusion of the World Cup in this elite lineup is a landmark achievement. It marks the first time since 2017 that soccer has broken into the top five, a notable accomplishment during an era when overall TV ratings have been trending downward. It would not be surprising if the final, staged at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, pushes those numbers even higher.
READ MORE: USA beats England by more than three million as World Cup viewership figures are released.
There’s a sense in the current moment that soccer’s appeal in the United States is far more than a passing fad. The sport’s growth mirrors a broader shift in American sports culture, where international competition, dramatic upsets, and high-stakes moments are driving audiences back to the television and beyond. As the world continues to tune in for the World Cup, the U.S. audience appears ready to embrace a sport that many fans have long admired from afar, signaling a potential shift in how the country consumes global athletics for years to come.