U.S. Soccer Team Sets Viewership Record with Victory Over Bosnia and Herzegovina

The U.S. men’s national soccer team attracted significant attention during their recent match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to Nielsen’s preliminary data, the game broadcast on Fox reached an average of 24.43 million viewers, hitting a peak of 31.88 million towards the end. This landmark viewership was the largest for an English-language soccer broadcast in U.S. history.

The previous record for viewership was held by the 2015 Women’s World Cup final between the U.S. and Japan, which drew an average of 22.32 million viewers, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

In addition, Telemundo’s Spanish telecast of the match added 9.1 million viewers, bringing the total to 33.53 million, a combined record for a soccer match in the United States.

The World Cup has consistently shattered ratings records since its commencement. U.S. World Cup matches, including the anticipated knockout stage game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, have drawn significant interest. This match was pivotal for the U.S., who sought their first knockout stage victory since 2002 after a group stage loss to Turkey.

For Bosnia and Herzegovina, advancing from Group B as a third-place team meant a chance to eliminate the U.S. on their home ground.

The U.S. secured a 2-0 victory but faced setbacks. Striker Folarin Balogun received a controversial red card that not only removed him from the Bosnia and Herzegovina match — forcing the team to play short-handed for the last 25 minutes — but also left him ineligible for the upcoming Round of 16 match against Belgium.