The United States' thrilling World Cup victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night drew a record audience of 31.883 million viewers, marking the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. English-language history. Approximately 24.5 million viewers watched the entire match.
This viewership figure surpasses the average audience for the NFL's Sunday Night Football, which recorded around 23.5 million viewers during the 2025 season. Fox secured the World Cup rights for $485 million, while NBC reportedly paid approximately $2 billion for NFL rights.
The U.S. team advanced to the last 16 of the tournament with a hard-fought 2-0 win. Star striker Folarin Balogun opened the scoring before Malik Tilmann secured the victory with a free-kick. The team played the final 30 minutes with 10 men after Balogun received a straight red card for a challenge on Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino and player Christian Pulisic expressed their disappointment and disagreement with the red card decision, stating it was accidental and Balogun should not miss the upcoming match. Balogun, who has scored three goals in the tournament, will be suspended for the next game.
The U.S. team is set to face Belgium in Seattle on Monday night. FIFA rules do not allow for appeals unless the ban is extended.