Argentina absolutely stomped England 2-1 on Wednesday, July 15, booking their spot in the World Cup final for the second straight time. What a performance! But get this: that semifinal match wasn't just a win for Messi and the squad, it was a seismic event for soccer in the U.S., pulling in an average of 15.063 million fans, with a mind-blowing peak viewership of 22.177 million. These numbers aren't just big; they're historic.
History Was Made On Wednesday Night
FOX just dropped the viewership numbers, and they are absolutely bonkers. The Argentina vs. England clash, where Lionel Messi broke yet another record, didn't just entertain; it shattered viewership benchmarks. We're talking the largest audience for a World Cup semifinals English language telecast in United States broadcast history. Let that sink in for a second! Not only that, but it became FOX's most-watched telecast for any Wednesday afternoon program ever. Can you believe it? People were ditching work or setting up screens in their offices just to catch this game, and the numbers prove it. This wasn't some minor bump, either. The average viewership for this semifinal was up a staggering 131% compared to the 2022 World Cup semifinals. Back then, France vs. Morocco and Argentina vs. Croatia pulled an average of 6.531 million fans. That means more than double the people were tuned in to see Argentina take down England this time around. That kind of growth in just four years? It's almost unbelievable, and it shows just how much this sport is exploding.Soccer Is Absolutely Exploding
And it's not just that one Argentina game doing all the heavy lifting. The other semifinal, where Spain ousted France 2-0 on Tuesday, July 14, saw a massive audience too. That game brought in 11.462 million fans on FOX, which is up 76% from the last tournament. Seriously, every time a big match hits, the viewership climbs higher and higher. Remember earlier in this World Cup? The USMNT's round of 16 match against Belgium was watched by a colossal 30 million people. That wasn't just a big game for our guys; it was the largest audience for *any* soccer broadcast in U.S. history. We are witnessing a full-blown revolution here, with soccer proving it can hang with the biggest sports events in the country. Now, Argentina is heading to their second straight final, and you just know that game is going to be even bigger. Can they win it all again? And how many more records are going to get absolutely smashed when the biggest game of the tournament hits the airwaves? Get ready, because the final is going to be appointment television!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.