USMNT Makes History with Record TV Viewership for Round of 16 World Cup Loss to Belgium

The United States Men's National Soccer Team's 4-1 loss to Belgium in the 2026 FIFA World Cup's Round of 16 on Monday night was the most-watched soccer match in American history.

According to Fox Sports, the match drew 33.086 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched soccer match ever in the U.S., and the most-watched non-NFL telecast on any channel since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series:

Fox Sports executive Michael Mulvihill noted that when adding in Telemundo's viewership, USA vs. Belgium did 50.1 million viewers and Mexico vs. England on Sunday did 46.7 million viewers, making those the most-watched non-NFL sporting events in the U.S. in more than 30 years:

Playing in their first home World Cup since 1994, the USMNT impressed over their first four matches, winning three of them, including a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32.

That set up a Round of 16 rematch between the United States and Belgium from the 2014 World Cup.

On that occasion, Belgium defeated the United States 2-1 in extra time, but there was hope the Americans could prevail this time around after Belgium's "Golden Generation" largely aged out.

Despite that, Team USA was once again no match for Belgium, as the Red Devils wreaked havoc on the United States' back line and goalkeeper Matt Freese.

The lone moment of celebration for the U.S. came in the 31st minute when Malik Tillman scored a free-kick goal for the second consecutive match, tying the score at 1-1.

Charles De Ketelaere scored his second goal of the match two minutes later, though, and Belgium added two insurance markers in the second half en route to victory.

The United States entered the match hoping to match their best-ever result at a World Cup that included at least 32 teams.

Team USA reached the quarterfinals in 2002, and while they have had multiple opportunities to repeat that since then, they fell in the Round of 16 in 2010, 2014, 2022 and 2026.

The viewership of Monday's match is a sign of how far soccer and its popularity have come in the United States, though, lending hope to the idea that the U.S. could one day become a true power in the sport.