2026 World Cup: Record Ratings in the United States and Strong Results in Italy
The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup, held across the United States, Mexico and Canada, concluded on July 19, 2026, delivering unprecedented viewership figures both in the United States and in Italy, underscoring the structural growth of soccer audiences in television markets not traditionally centered on the sport.
In the United States, the final between Spain and Argentina, won by Spain 1-0 in extra time, drew a combined audience of nearly 63 million viewers across Fox, Telemundo and Peacock. Fox’s English-language broadcast alone averaged 38.9 million viewers, peaking at 51.7 million, making it the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. television history and surpassing the 2022 Argentina-France final by 132%. Across the full tournament, Fox, FS1 and Tubi averaged 7.74 million viewers over 104 matches, up 116% from Qatar 2022.
In Italy, the final broadcast on Rai 1 drew an average of 12,455,000 viewers, a 67.9% share, one of the strongest results for a sporting event on public television in recent years. Across the tournament, Rai averaged 4.635 million viewers with an overall 34.7% share, while RaiPlay reached an average of 1.2 million connected devices during the final, double the figure recorded for Qatar 2022.
The tournament was accompanied by a significant investment in entertainment surrounding the matches. The three opening ceremonies, held on June 11 and 12 in Mexico City, Los Angeles and Toronto, and the ceremony preceding the final in New York/New Jersey, were conceived and produced by Balich Wonder Studio, an Italian live-entertainment company led by Marco Balich and part of the Banijay Group, previously responsible for a number of World Cup and Olympic ceremonies, featuring performers such as Katy Perry, Laura Pausini, Robbie Williams and Jennifer Hudson. The first-ever halftime show in World Cup final history, staged during the match interval, was instead curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin for FIFA and Global Citizen, with Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber among the headliners.
These results confirm the growing value of major international sporting events in driving both linear and digital viewership, reinforced by the expanding weight of related entertainment programming. The U.S. case highlights the tournament’s ability to broaden its audience in a market traditionally oriented toward other sports, while the Italian figures confirm the continued strength of general-interest television around major sporting occasions.
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The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup, held across the United States, Mexico and Canada, concluded on July 19, 2026, delivering unprecedented viewership figures both in the United States and in Italy, underscoring the structural growth of soccer audiences in television markets not traditionally centered on the sport.
In the United States, the final between Spain and Argentina, won by Spain 1-0 in extra time, drew a combined audience of nearly 63 million viewers across Fox, Telemundo and Peacock. Fox’s English-language broadcast alone averaged 38.9 million viewers, peaking at 51.7 million, making it the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. television history and surpassing the 2022 Argentina-France final by 132%. Across the full tournament, Fox, FS1 and Tubi averaged 7.74 million viewers over 104 matches, up 116% from Qatar 2022.
In Italy, the final broadcast on Rai 1 drew an average of 12,455,000 viewers, a 67.9% share, one of the strongest results for a sporting event on public television in recent years. Across the tournament, Rai averaged 4.635 million viewers with an overall 34.7% share, while RaiPlay reached an average of 1.2 million connected devices during the final, double the figure recorded for Qatar 2022.
The tournament was accompanied by a significant investment in entertainment surrounding the matches. The three opening ceremonies, held on June 11 and 12 in Mexico City, Los Angeles and Toronto, and the ceremony preceding the final in New York/New Jersey, were conceived and produced by Balich Wonder Studio, an Italian live-entertainment company led by Marco Balich and part of the Banijay Group, previously responsible for a number of World Cup and Olympic ceremonies, featuring performers such as Katy Perry, Laura Pausini, Robbie Williams and Jennifer Hudson. The first-ever halftime show in World Cup final history, staged during the match interval, was instead curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin for FIFA and Global Citizen, with Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber among the headliners.
These results confirm the growing value of major international sporting events in driving both linear and digital viewership, reinforced by the expanding weight of related entertainment programming. The U.S. case highlights the tournament’s ability to broaden its audience in a market traditionally oriented toward other sports, while the Italian figures confirm the continued strength of general-interest television around major sporting occasions.
Share:
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