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.

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.

FIFA's major expansion of the World Cup has not drawn universal praise, but it is a significant boost for Fox Corp. and NBCUniversal-owned Telemundo.

ITV viewers were left unimpressed by the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with many taking to social media to complain about the spectacle before the tournament had even got underway. The curtain-raiser took place at Mexico City's iconic Estadio Azteca ahead of the opening match between hosts Mexico and South Africa.

Nearly eight years to the day since the 2026 FIFA World Cup was awarded to the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and the opening day of competition is finally here. At 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Mexico will kick off this summer’s World Cup against South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

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.

Fox is the U.S. television broadcaster of the World Cup, with Fox One as the official streaming service.

Fox has announced FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours with James Corden, a new late-night companion series for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as viewers dissed the former late-show host's return to television

"Over the next six weeks, there will be unforgettable goals, shocking upsets, controversial officiating decisions, viral moments, and storylines that dominate conversations around the globe. Some of those memories will fade.