Americans are embracing the World Cup with face paint, flags, dancing, and music. The tournament is halfway through and has become a huge celebration. This party is happening in sports bars, parks, restaurants, and stadiums, despite heat and thunderstorms.
In Boston, over a thousand fans gathered at City Hall Plaza for a fan festival. They cheered together for every goal during the England vs. Panama match. Jason Jusino from Medford, Mass., said he had no expectations but found the experience great. He noted the city hasn't felt this much excitement in a long time.
The World Cup faced criticism over high ticket prices and concerns about the U.S. as a host. Despite these issues, Americans are showing up in record numbers for the sport. The U.S. team is heading into its knockout stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bret Myers, who teaches sports analytics at Villanova University, said soccer has "drowned out any potential issues."
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Record-Breaking Viewership
The U.S. Men's National Team's (USMNT) opening game against Paraguay on June 12 drew about 25 million viewers. This includes audiences across Fox, Telemundo, and their streaming platforms. Nielsen, a media analytics company, reported this as one of the most-watched soccer games ever in the U.S. For comparison, the USMNT's first group stage game in the 2022 World Cup had 11.7 million viewers.
Team USA's viewership has stayed high, reaching over 22 million for games against Australia and Turkey. These numbers are similar to recent NBA finals and MLB World Series averages. However, they are still about 100 million viewers short of a Super Bowl. The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan averaged 23.5 million viewers in the U.S.
Americans are not just watching their home team. Fox reported an average of 5 million viewers across 72 group stage matches. This is a new record for the network. Telemundo saw an average of 4.6 million viewers. Mike Mulvihill, president of insights for Fox Sports, noted that the average Fox viewer has watched more games this year than during the entire 2022 World Cup.
FIFA reported that about 4.6 million fans attended the group stage matches, filling 99.7% of seats. This sets a new attendance record, surpassing the 1994 tournament in the U.S. Fan festivals in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada have attracted 5.5 million attendees.
A Growing Passion for Soccer
The strong turnout for the World Cup is not surprising. Major League Soccer has grown in attendance, viewership, and the number of teams. The Premier League and Liga MX also have loyal followings in the U.S. Nielsen reports that the nation's soccer fan base is younger and more diverse, with the Hispanic community being central to its growth.
The USMNT's strong performance has also reignited hope and excitement for fans. Villanova University's Myers said the team's first win "helped tremendously" to maintain excitement.
All eyes are now on the USMNT to see if they can achieve their first World Cup knockout win since 2002. Myers believes Americans will continue to follow the tournament in large numbers, regardless of the team's outcome.
Eddy Balcarcel from Attleboro, Mass., has attended several watch parties and two games. He said the tournament has exceeded his expectations, even with high ticket prices. He hopes soccer continues to improve in the U.S. Jason Jusino, who has followed the World Cup since 1994, sees the growing soccer fandom and the USMNT as a reflection of America's spirit of "growing and persevering."
