The FIFA World Cup action for the United States got off to a massively successful start, with the host country recording an impressive 4-1 win over Paraguay to start their Group D play.
After Paraguay recorded an unfortunate own goal to start things in favor of the USMNT, Folarin Balogun scored twice to extend the lead further. Ultimately, another goal arrived courtesy of Giovanni Reyna during the final moments of extra time in the second half, boosting the team’s confidence moving forward.
With the game held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, over 700,000 fans attended to show support for their team, with extremely noticeable cheers and chants in favor of the home team.
And the game was also a major hit for those watching from home, with nearly 16 million viewers for the team’s opening match on television. It aired on Fox for TV, with live streaming featuring English commentary also available on the FOX One and Tubi apps.
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According to Yahoo! Sports, that is the most-watched World Cup match on English-language television, and it was just the team’s opening game. One could only imagine the sort of viewership this team could get should they go on an epic run into the tournament.
The game’s viewership was a significant increase from the USMNT’s 2022 World Cup Group Stage match against Wales, which drew 7.763 million viewers. Notably, this 2026 opener also had a peak audience of 18.86 million viewers between 10:45 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
In addition to the TV record, the match became the most-streamed English-language USMNT match with approximately 1.13 million streaming it on Tubi.
Their thrilling win didn’t arrive without some concerns and questions, either. Star forward Christian Pulisic didn’t return to the pitch in the second half, immediately raising curiosity over whether he got hurt during the game or was resting.
Read more: US Star Christian Pulisic Addresses Injury Concerns After World Cup Opener
The United States also has a long way to go if they want to have a chance at contending for the World Cup. They’ll need to qualify from Group C, but are currently leading the group with three points, after that big 4-1 win. Australia and Turkey play the next match in the group at midnight on Sunday, June 14.
Goals and points are significant in the win, because they could come into play for any tiebreakers later. As of this writing, one has to feel good about how the USMNT’s effort looked in their opener, as they’ll have more group games on the way, and in front of their fans at various stadiums around the country.
The USMNT will next face Australia on Friday, June 19, in Seattle, Washington, at Lumen Field, home of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.
More news: Patrick Mahomes Reacts to USA’s Exciting World Cup Win Over Paraguay
For more about the World Cup, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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