The USMNT’s World Cup exit drew in a staggering 42 million viewers on Monday night – and that still wasn’t the biggest audience of the past week.
World Cup fever has swept through the United States over the past month as the soccer extravaganza takes over the country and co-hosts Canada and Mexico, bringing a boom to Fox and Telemundo’s viewership.
The home nation has naturally been a big draw for American households. However, it has now emerged that it wasn’t the main attraction over the weekend.
That title was awarded to England’s blockbuster clash against Mexico, which took place on Sunday, one day before the USA’s defeat to Belgium.
The Three Lions’ dramatic 3-2 victory at the Azteca drew in nearly 45 million viewers across the United States, according to Sports Business Journal.
That figure combined viewership from Fox – which holds the English-language rights to the tournament – and Spanish-language channel Telemundo and its streaming platform Peacock.
England’s dramatic 3-2 victory at the Azteca drew in nearly 45 million viewers in the US
It beat the 42 million that tuned in to watch the USA’s World Cup-ending loss to Belgium
23.1 million watched on Telemundo and Peacock and 21.742 million on Fox, totaling 44.842 million.
In comparison, the NFL’s AFC and NFC Championship games in January averaged 47.4 million viewers.
It just beat the figure generated by the USMNT’s 4-1 defeat to Belgium, which saw them crash out of the World Cup in humiliating fashion on Monday night.
A total of 42 million tuned in for the last-16 clash in Seattle – just under three million less than England’s thriller.
30 million watched the English-language broadcast on Fox and an additional 12 million watched the Spanish-language version on Telemundo and Peacock.
Fox’s viewing figures included a peak audience of 36.895m viewers in the window from 9:15-9:30pm ET – which was the exact window when USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese and center back Tim Ream combined to give up one of the worst goals in the national team’s history.
The United States went into the half losing 2-1 after giving up their first goal just nine minutes in after failing to mark Charles De Ketelaere.
While Malik Tillman whipped in a free kick goal in the 31st minute, De Ketelaere responded just two minutes later to take an advantage into the half.
The NFL’s AFC and NFC Championship games in January averaged 47.4 million viewers
The USMNT’S tournament came to a crashing end when they lost 4-1 to Belgium on Monday
Meanwhile, it had been elation for the Three Lions the day prior with a win over Mexico
Just 12 minutes after the start of the second half, Freese committed a horrific blunder by coming far off his line and then catching his foot in the turf as he tried to clear the ball.
He was dispossessed by Hans Vanaken, who then shot the ball past Ream – who moved his foot out of the way of a potential deflection – and into the American net. The nail in the coffin was delivered by Romelu Lukaku in the third minute of stoppage time.
The USMNT once again failed to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup – a stage they have only reached once in their history since the knockout phase expanded to 16 teams in 1986.
This match was shrouded in controversy after President Trump confirmed he reached out to FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the controversial red card given to Balogun in the Round of 32.
FIFA announced they would probationally suspend Balogun’s ban for the Round of 16 the day before the match – a move that drew international condemnation.
Meanwhile, England, who dropped down to 10 men after Jarell Quansah was handed a straight red card in the 54th minute, managed to fend off the Mexican attack to hand El Tri their first defeat at the Azteca fortress since 2013.
