USA's 2-0 win over Bosnia draws record 24.4 million English-language viewers

The United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday night in Santa Clara, California, drew an average of 24.4 million English-language viewers, setting a new record as the most-watched soccer telecast in English-language history. The peak audience reached 31.8 million.

The result also carried significant sporting weight: the win sent the U.S. into the round of 16, marking the country’s first knockout-stage victory at a World Cup since 2002.

The broadcast surpassed the previous English-language record set by the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, which averaged 22.3 million viewers. Wednesday’s peak figure of 31.8 million underlines the scale of interest in the men’s national team’s run.

For broader context, the most-watched combined U.S. audience of the tournament so far remains the Mexico vs. Ecuador match, which drew 29.3 million viewers across all language broadcasts. The all-time U.S. television record belongs to Super Bowl LIX in 2025, when the Philadelphia Eagles faced the Kansas City Chiefs and averaged 127.7 million viewers across all platforms, peaking at 137.7 million during the second quarter.

The viewership milestone reflects a surge in domestic interest in soccer ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting alongside Canada and Mexico.