The United States men's national soccer team has unexpectedly captivated the American public during the 2026 World Cup. Even though soccer traditionally lags behind sports like American football and basketball in popularity, a significant portion of the population, numbering in the tens of millions, has been tuning in to watch the tournament.
This surge in interest is largely fueled by the USMNT's impressive performance. Under the leadership of Mauricio Pochettino, the team secured victories in their initial two matches against Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0), thereby clinching the top spot in Group D. Although they faced a narrow defeat to Turkey (3-2) in their final group stage game, the team's strong showing has maintained high morale among their supporters.
Fox Sports' projections for the potential viewership of a World Cup final featuring the USMNT are remarkably optimistic. Mike Mulvihill, a ratings expert for Fox Sports, anticipates that such a match could attract upwards of 50 million viewers. This figure would place it on par with the viewership of an NFC Championship Game, surpassing the 46.1 million average recorded for this year's NFC Championship between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams. Mulvihill also forecasts that the USMNT's round-of-32 and round-of-16 games, broadcast during primetime slots, could each draw over 30 million viewers, comparable to the most-watched NFL regular season Sunday games. These statistics underscore a burgeoning enthusiasm for the World Cup across the United States, as evidenced by the fact that the cumulative viewership on Fox and FS1 for the first two weeks of the 2026 tournament has already exceeded the total viewership for the entire 2022 World Cup. This growing viewership is a strong indicator of the network's keen interest in seeing Pochettino's squad advance to at least the quarter-finals, anticipating even higher ratings.
The burgeoning popularity of the USMNT and the World Cup reflects a positive shift in American sports culture, fostering national pride and unity. This increasing engagement with international soccer tournaments promotes a broader global perspective and encourages athletic excellence, inspiring future generations to participate in sports and embrace diverse cultural experiences.