In their first match of group play during this year's World Cup, the American men put on a tantalizing performance.

Viewership for previous World Cup finals was only a little higher than for a strong Monday Night Football game, but with matches on U.S. soil, media executives are hopeful this will be the year soccer breaks through.

Considering the Super Bowl is just one day and that the World Cup spans longer than a month, the viewership data favors the latter. In the 2026 tournament, the viewership is predicted to surpass 5 billion people across the world, making that an average of 128.2 million per day across 39 days.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup brings the greatest soccer tournament on the planet to North America, as the United States play co-host to the international football championship.

Referees for the 2026 World Cup will be wearing cameras positioned at their temples, allowing TV audiences to see a live view of the pitch from a vantage point they never have before.

Fans in the United States tuned in en masse for the US national team's World Cup opener. Patrick T. Fallon / Getty Images The US men’s national team opened its 2026 World Cup campaign with a stirring 4-1 win over Paraguay, and — in a signal of pent-up ...

FIFA's new anthem protocol requiring full squads on the pitch during national anthems at World Cup 2026 drew fan criticism during Friday's Mexico vs. South Africa opener

The World Cup opening ceremony has commenced as famous singers Katy Perry and Future take the stage to perform for a jam-packed crowd ahead of the match between the U.S. and Paraguay