The 2026 World Cup has barely taken its first steps and has already begun to break records off the field of play. The opening match between Mexico and South Africa became the most watched broadcast in English in the United States for a World Cup opening game, expanding the impact it had already shown in Spanish-language audience measurements.

The 2-0 Mexican victory, broadcast on Fox, Fox One and Tubi, reached a total audience of 7.1 million viewers and established a new benchmark for this type of match in the US market.

The figure displaced the previous record corresponding to the 2022 World Cup, when 2.8 million people followed the opening duel between Qatar and Ecuador.

The scope of the match also left another relevant mark: it became the most watched group stage match of a World Cup in English within the United States without the participation of the American team. The interest generated by the premiere of the tournament was also reflected in a peak audience of 9.1 million viewers during the development of the match.

The start of the tournament breaks records in both languages

The audience data for Mexico's debut adds to another historical record achieved from the Hispanic side of coverage.

The same match between Mexico and South Africa had already established an unprecedented mark in Spanish by bringing together a total audience delivery of 12.1 million viewers between Telemundo, Peacock and Telemundo's streaming platforms.

That volume made the match the most watched World Cup match in Spanish of all time. It also went on to top the list as the most watched opening game regardless of language and as the most watched group stage match that did not feature the United States team.

New records also appeared in the digital field. The duel was the match in Mexico with the highest consumption via streaming and the group stage match with the most views in Spanish.

While the platforms and networks recorded historic figures, the Mexican team responded on the field with a performance that also had sporting value. The 2-0 victory ended the Mexican team's winless streak in opening World Cup matches.

The United States also left its own mark at the start of the tournament. The 4-1 victory against Paraguay brought in 15.9 million viewers in English, more than double the previous record of 7.7 million reached in 2022.

That match had a peak of 18.8 million viewers between 10:45 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. East and also became the most streamed game in English for the American team, with 1.1 million viewers.

With just the first days of competition underway, the 2026 World Cup has already begun to establish new benchmarks for television and digital consumption in the United States.