Mexico vs. England World Cup Thriller Makes U.S. History With Incredible Record Set

The round of 16 bout between Mexico and England kept audiences on the edge of their seats.

England beat Mexico in an instant World Cup classic. | Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images

England’s epic win over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 made history by becoming the most-watched soccer match of all time in the U.S..

Official reports state that England’s thrilling 3–2 victory over El Tri on Sunday night had a 23.2 million total audience on Telemundo plus a further 21.7 million on Fox. That’s nearly 50 million viewers between both official broadcasts, an unprecedented amount for a soccer game in U.S. history.

The viewership numbers even eclipse the combined total of the USMNT vs. Belgium match that took place a day later. Between Telemundo and Fox, some 42 million viewers tuned-in to watch Belgium end the USMNT’s World Cup journey on Monday night.

England is one of the biggest draws in international soccer across the U.S., and it’s well known that Mexico rivals the USMNT in terms of popularity given the large Mexican or Mexican-American population in the U.S.—evidenced by Telemundo’s Spanish broadcast getting a larger viewership share of the match.

It goes without saying that the manner in which the game unfolded, earning the recognition as one of if not the best game of the 2026 World Cup so far, contributed as well.

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World Cup Viewership Rivaling NFL Games in the U.S.

It was an unforgettable night at the Estadio Azteca. | Michael Steele/Getty Images

Both Mexico vs. England and the USMNT vs. Belgium posted comparable viewership numbers to that of the NFL’S NFC and AFC Championship games in late January, per The Independent.

The NFL conference championship games had an average audience of 47 million in the U.S.. No other sports match from any of the other big U.S. sports leagues—MLB, NBA, NHL or even NCAA Football—have come close to that number in decades.

Furthermore, Mexico vs. England broke the record of the most watched non-USMNT World Cup game in history, previously owned by the 16.7 million who watched Argentina beat France in the 2022 World Cup final, per AP.

The staggering viewership numbers highlight the rise of soccer’s popularity in the U.S. And even though the metrics indicate more people watched England’s win at the Azteca, the USMNT match against Belgium did set a new record of its own.

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USMNT vs. Belgium Sets Remarkable Viewership Record

Malik Tillman (right) gave the USMNT hope for a brief moment against Belgium. | Luke Hales/Getty Images

The USMNT vs. Belgium clash became the most watched soccer telecast in U.S. history, with Fox recording an audience of a little over 33 million viewers on its broadcast, per the network.

The astronomical number made the round of 16 bout at Lumen Field the second-most watched telecast of the year in the U.S., only behind Super Bowl LX in February, where the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots to become NFL champions.

But the records don’t stop there. The game was also the most watched non-NFL broadcast on any U.S. network since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the now Cleveland Guardians. A little over 40 million viewers watched the Cubs end a 108-year World Series drought in one of the most memorable MLB games of the 21st century.

Although the USMNT fell out of the World Cup on a whimper with a lopsided 4–1 defeat against Belgium, the viewership numbers indicate just how much the country embraced and backed the team during its tournament journey.

With the climactic end of the 2026 World Cup still ahead, it wouldn’t be surprising if more U.S. viewership records are broken in the next week and a half.

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