The USMNT’s loss to Belgium delivered the biggest soccer audience in American television history.
The match averaged 30 million viewers, making it the most-watched soccer telecast ever in the U.S., Fox Sports announced Tuesday.
The Round of 16 matchup in Seattle peaked at 36.8 million viewers between 9:15 and 9:30 p.m. ET, per the company.
It continued a massive World Cup run for Fox as the Americans captured attention during the first men’s tournament on home soil since 1994.
The previous record had just been set by the USMNT’s 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32, which Fox said averaged nearly 26.4 million viewers and peaked at more than 34.8 million.
The surge started in the group stage, when the USMNT’s World Cup opener against Paraguay averaged 15.986 million viewers and briefly stood as the most-watched USMNT telecast ever.
The latest record number came on a night that ended far worse for the Americans on the field.
The USMNT fell 4-1 in a loss that looked even worse than the scoreboard suggested.
Perhaps the lowest moment of the match came in the 57th minute when goalkeeper Matt Freese moved outside the penalty area to secure a long ball, only to have his foot get caught in the turf, leading to a third Belgium score.
“Today wasn’t a good day,” midfielder Tyler Adams said after the game. “There was a lot of things we could have done better. I think when you concede goals that easily against a team of that quality, you’re going to lose. This was an opportunity to advance and try and do something special and we fell short.”
The USMNT has not reached the quarterfinals since 2002, falling in the Round of 16 in each of its last four knockout-stage trips.
