USA vs. Belgium Delivers the Most-Watched USMNT Soccer Match Ever in Spanish-Language Media History in Total Audience
Round of 16’s Total Audience Delivery averaged 11.1 million viewers, +50% over 2026’s Round of 32 TAD (7.4M)
Miami, FL – July 9, 2026 – With the close of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Round of 16, Telemundo and Peacock viewership continues to reach new heights, as the tournament to date has delivered the top 10 most-watched World Cup™ matches in Spanish-language media history in total audience (see chart).
Through the tournament’s first 27 days and 96 matches, coverage across Telemundo, Universo, Peacock, and Telemundo streaming platforms is averaging a Total Audience Delivery of 5.7 million viewers, +157% vs. the 2022 tournament through the Round of 16 (2.2M). Both linear and streaming viewership show impressive growth compared to the 2022 tournament through the Round of 16, with the linear match window average up +90% (3.0 million vs. 1.6 million) and the digital average minute audience (AMA) up +326% (2.7 million vs. 632K).
Key highlights from the Round of 16 include:
- Across the eight FIFA World Cup 2026™ Round of 16 matches, the Total Audience Delivery averaged 11.1 million viewers, up +265% compared to the Round of 16 in 2022 (3.0 million TAD).
- The linear match window average grew +145% (5.2 million vs. 2.1 million) and the digital average minute audience (AMA) increased by +535% (6.0 million vs. 937K).
- The 2026 Round of 16 Total Audience Delivery and Average Minute Audience also grew +50% and +59%, respectively, versus the tournament’s Round of 32 (7.4 million TAD and 3.7 million AMA).
- USA vs. Belgium on July 6 delivered a 12.9 million TAD, ranking as the most-watched USMNT match in Spanish-language media history based on Total Audience, beating the prior record, set for the Round of 32 matchup vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (9.8M TAD) by +31%.
- July 6 ranks as the second most-watched matchday of the tournament to date with an average Total Audience Delivery of 10.8 million viewers, driven by the USA vs. Belgium and Portugal vs. Spain Round of 16 matches.
- The match also ranks as most-streamed USMNT match in Spanish-language media history with a 7.1 million AMA.
- On linear, the match delivered 5.2 million viewers, with a peak quarter-hour audience of 6.6 million at 9:45pm.
- Spain vs. Portugal delivered an 8.7 million TAD, marking Spain’s highest Total Audience Delivery ever for a FIFA World Cup™ match in Spanish-language media history.
- Argentina vs. Egypt delivered a 7.5 million TAD, an increase of +68% as compared to Argentina’s 2022 Round of 16 match vs Australia (4.5 million TAD).
- Colombia vs Switzerland came in with 8.0 million total audience delivery, a +168% increase vs Colombia’s last Round of 16 match in 2018 vs. England (3.0 million TAD).
Source: Nielsen Big Data+ Panel, L+SD, match window for TAD; Adobe Analytics; 6/11/26-7/7/26.
TOP 10 MOST-WATCHED SOCCER MATCHES IN SPANISH-LANGUAGE MEDIA HISTORY (TAD – MATCH WINDOWS)
| RANK | DATE | MATCH | VIEWERS |
| 1. | July 5 | Mexico vs. England | 23.2 M |
| 2. | June 30 | Mexico vs. Ecuador | 18.9 M |
| 3. | June 18 | Mexico vs. Korea Republic | 14 M |
| 4. | July 5 | Brazil vs. Norway | 13.8 M |
| 5. | July 6 | USA vs. Belgium | 12.9 M |
| 6. | June 24 | Mexico vs. Czechia | 12.3 M |
| 7. | July 3 | Argentina vs. Cape Verde | 10.6 M |
| 8. | June 11 | Mexico vs. South Africa | 10.1 M |
| 9. | July 2 | Portugal vs. Croatia | 9.9 M |
| 10. | July 1 | USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9.8 M |
Round of 16 Match Results:
| RANK | DATE | MATCH | VIEWERS |
| July 5 | Mexico vs. England | 23.2 M | |
| July 5 | Brazil vs. Norway | 13.8 M | |
| July 6 | USA vs. Belgium | 12.9 M | |
| July 4 | Paraguay vs. France | 9.2 M | |
| July 6 | Portugal vs. Spain | 8.7 M | |
| July 7 | Switzerland vs. Colombia | 8.0 M | |
| July 7 | Argentina vs. Egypt | 7.5 M | |
| July 4 | Canada vs. Morrocco | 6.0 M |
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About NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises:
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises leads the media industry in the production and distribution of Spanish-language content for U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world. The company serves U.S. Hispanics through its national broadcast network, the cable network Universo, and digital platforms including the Telemundo app, a suite of FAST channels, and streaming services, such as Peacock, among others. The Telemundo Network offers Spanish-language entertainment, news, and sports content reaching 96% of U.S. Hispanic TV households in 210 markets through 30 owned stations and 94 affiliate stations. Telemundo also owns an independent station serving Puerto Rico. Anchored on Telemundo Studios, the network is the #1 producer of scripted Spanish-language content in the U.S., and the only network to produce original content specifically for US Hispanic audiences. Offering over 600 hours of reality TV shows a year, and top-rated live specials such as the Billboard Latin Music Awards and Miss Universe, Telemundo is considered the undisputed Home of Live TV in Hispanic media. The network is also the exclusive Spanish-language home of the world’s two most popular sporting events, the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is a division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
Media Contacts:
Melissa Lopez, melissa.lopez1@nbcuni.com, 786-889-3914
Sofia Peñas, sofia.penas@nbcuni.com, 645-236-0053
