The United States' World Cup knockout stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina delivered unprecedented television ratings, drawing 24.43 million viewers on Fox and becoming the largest English-language audience for a soccer broadcast in U.S. history. The broadcast peaked at 31.88 million viewers late in the game.
This viewership figure surpassed the previous record holder, the 2015 Women's World Cup final between the U.S. and Japan, which averaged 22.32 million viewers. Combined with a Spanish-language telecast on Telemundo that attracted 9.1 million viewers, the total audience for the match reached 33.53 million, setting a new benchmark for any soccer broadcast in the United States.
The U.S. team secured a 2-0 victory in the match. However, the win came with a significant cost as star striker Folarin Balogun received a controversial red card. This dismissal not only removed him from the remainder of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, forcing the U.S. to play with ten men for the final 25 minutes, but also ruled him out of the subsequent Round of 16 match against Belgium. Balogun's absence will be a notable challenge for the team as they advance in the tournament. The U.S. had entered the match aiming for their first knockout stage win since 2002, seeking to rebound from a group stage loss to Türkiye, while Bosnia and Herzegovina, advancing from Group B as a third-place team, aimed to upset the American side.