Christian Pulisic and the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team's opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup drew 15.986 million viewers across Fox, Fox One and Tubi—the most-watched English-language World Cup broadcast for USMNT ever, according to Fox Sports.
The Paraguay match at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium saw Pulisic and Balogun lead the team to victory. The viewership reflected strong interest across the country.
The 2026 World Cup on home soil has already drawn larger audiences than previous USMNT World Cup broadcasts on English-language networks. Fox's multi-platform approach—distributing the match across traditional broadcast and streaming service Tubi—expanded the potential audience.
The previous record for an English-language USMNT World Cup broadcast stood for years. Pulisic's team surpassed it with this opening match.
Both dedicated soccer fans and casual viewers tuned in. The viewership figure suggests strong domestic appetite for the World Cup on American soil.
