Argentina's win over England sets World Cup semifinal ratings record

Argentina's dramatic 2-1 victory over England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal became the most-watched World Cup semifinal in English-language television history, according to a report by Variety.

The match, broadcast on Fox on Wednesday, averaged 15.063 million viewers, surpassing the previous record set just one day earlier when Spain defeated France 2-0 in the other semifinal. That match drew an average audience of 11.462 million.

Viewership for Argentina's victory peaked at 22.177 million between 4:45 p.m. and 5 p.m. ET as Lionel Messi and Argentina battled Harry Kane and England for a place in the final.

The new record marks a significant increase from the 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinals, when Fox averaged 6.531 million viewers. The France-Morocco semifinal in Qatar, which attracted 6.595 million viewers, had previously held the record for the most-watched English-language World Cup semifinal broadcast.

In the United Kingdom, Radio Times reported that England's semifinal against Argentina became the country's most-watched live television broadcast of 2026. The match peaked at 24 million viewers, accounting for 85% of all television viewing at the time, and averaged 22.1 million viewers across BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

The semifinal also became the most-watched match of the current World Cup in the United Kingdom, surpassing England's quarterfinal victory over Norway. It was the BBC's largest live television audience since England's defeat to Italy in the UEFA Euro 2020 final, which was played in 2021.

Defending World Cup champion Argentina will face European champion Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. England and France will meet in the third-place playoff on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida. -Field Level Media/Reuters