USMNT’s Impressive World Cup Opener

The U.S. men’s national soccer team kicked off their World Cup journey with a striking 4-1 victory over Paraguay. But just as noteworthy, perhaps even more so, is the incredible number of viewers who tuned in to watch.

On Friday night, the match became the most-watched game in USMNT history, attracting a record 15.986 million viewers. This is also the highest viewership for a FIFA Men’s World Cup group stage telecast in U.S. history, according to Fox Sports.

In fact, viewership was up 106 percent compared to the first USMNT group stage game aired on FOX back in 2022, when 7.763 million people watched the draw against Wales.

Interestingly, at its peak between 10:45 PM and 11 PM ET, the game had an impressive 18.86 million viewers.

However, this remarkable viewership is not solely unique to the U.S. opener. Just a day earlier, the match between Mexico and South Africa garnered significant attention, making it the most-watched English-language broadcast of a Men’s World Cup opener in U.S. history, with about 6.3 million viewers across various platforms.

This viewership figure was also, notably, 97% higher than the average for non-USMNT group stage broadcasts on FOX in 2022, peaking just after 4 PM with over 8 million viewers.

While these attendance numbers are striking, they do come amid concerns over empty seats at various World Cup matches. Many fans are hesitant due to high ticket prices.

It’s worth mentioning that, despite any concerns about attendance, the USMNT’s strong ratings can be attributed to their commanding performance. The team jumped to a 1-0 lead thanks to an own goal and maintained momentum with Folarin Balogun’s two goals, ending the first half at 3-0.

Even with Christian Pulisic being sent off early in the match, Gio Reyna helped round off the victory with another goal, securing a solid 4-1 win.

Now, the USMNT turns its focus to their upcoming match against Australia, which is scheduled for June 19th.