A record 30 million viewers watched the United States men's national team's World Cup elimination by Belgium, according to preliminary Nielsen data released by Fox Sports. The Round of 16 match, which saw the USMNT lose 4-1, became the most-watched soccer broadcast in U.S. history.
The peak audience for the game reached 36.895 million viewers between 9:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET, coinciding with a significant error by USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese that led to a Belgian goal. This figure does not include viewership from the Spanish-language broadcast on Telemundo, suggesting the total audience may exceed 40 million.
The United States team entered the knockout stage after victories against Paraguay and Australia, and a win against Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, they were ultimately defeated by Belgium in Seattle. The match saw Belgium take an early lead in the ninth minute through Charles De Ketelaere, with Malik Tillman equalizing for the US in the 31st minute. De Ketelaere scored again just two minutes later to give Belgium a 2-1 halftime advantage.
In the second half, Freese's misstep allowed Hans Vanaken to score, extending Belgium's lead. Romelu Lukaku added a final goal in stoppage time.
This outcome means the USMNT has again failed to reach the World Cup quarterfinals, a stage they have only achieved once since the knockout phase expanded in 1986. The match was also preceded by controversy regarding a red card suspension for USMNT striker Folarin Balogun, which was provisionally lifted by FIFA after an intervention from President Donald Trump. This decision drew international criticism.
