Telemundo World Cup ratings up 157% over 2022 after Round 16

Telemundo’s Spanish-language coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is averaging 5.7 million viewers through the Round of 16, up 157% from the comparable stage of the 2022 tournament.

The figure covers 96 matches aired across Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and other Telemundo streaming platforms during the tournament’s first 27 days.

Linear match windows are averaging 3 million viewers, a 90% increase from 1.6 million in 2022. Digital coverage is averaging 2.7 million viewers per minute, up 326% from 632,000.

The tournament has also produced the 10 most-watched World Cup matches in Spanish-language media history, according to Telemundo.

The eight Round of 16 matches averaged a total audience delivery of 11.1 million viewers, up 265% from 3 million for the same round in 2022.

Linear coverage of the round averaged 5.2 million viewers, an increase of 145% from 2.1 million. Digital coverage averaged 6 million viewers per minute, up 535% from 937,000.

Total audience delivery for the Round of 16 was 50% higher than the tournament’s Round of 32 average of 7.4 million. The digital average minute audience increased 59% from 3.7 million.

Coverage on July 6, 2026, averaged 10.8 million viewers across the U.S.-Belgium and Portugal-Spain matches, making it the tournament’s second most-watched matchday through the Round of 16.

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The U.S.-Belgium match averaged a total audience of 12.9 million viewers. Its digital audience of 7.1 million viewers per minute made it the most-streamed U.S. men’s national team match in Spanish-language media history.

The match averaged 5.2 million linear viewers and reached a peak quarter-hour audience of 6.6 million at 9:45 p.m.

Spain’s match against Portugal delivered a total audience of 8.7 million, the country’s largest Spanish-language audience for a World Cup match.

Argentina’s victory over Egypt averaged 7.5 million viewers, up 68% from the 4.5 million who watched Argentina’s 2022 Round of 16 match against Australia.

Colombia’s match against Switzerland delivered 8 million viewers, an increase of 168% from the 3 million who watched Colombia face England in the 2018 Round of 16.

The most-watched World Cup matches in Spanish-language media history by total audience delivery are:

• Mexico vs. England, July 5, 2026: 23.2 million
• Mexico vs. Ecuador, June 30, 2026: 18.9 million
• Mexico vs. South Korea, June 18, 2026: 14 million
• Brazil vs. Norway, July 5, 2026: 13.8 million
• U.S. vs. Belgium, July 6, 2026: 12.9 million
• Mexico vs. Czechia, June 24, 2026: 12.3 million
• Argentina vs. Cape Verde, July 3, 2026: 10.6 million
• Mexico vs. South Africa, June 11, 2026: 10.1 million
• Portugal vs. Croatia, July 2, 2026: 9.9 million
• U.S. vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, July 1, 2026: 9.8 million

Round of 16 matches ranked by total audience delivery:

• Mexico vs. England, July 5, 2026: 23.2 million
• Brazil vs. Norway, July 5, 2026: 13.8 million
• U.S. vs. Belgium, July 6, 2026: 12.9 million
• Paraguay vs. France, July 4, 2026: 9.2 million
• Portugal vs. Spain, July 6, 2026: 8.7 million
• Switzerland vs. Colombia, July 7, 2026: 8 million
• Argentina vs. Egypt, July 7, 2026: 7.5 million
• Canada vs. Morocco, July 4, 2026: 6 million

The figures are based on Nielsen Big Data Plus Panel live-plus-same-day match-window measurements and Adobe Analytics data collected from June 11 through July 7, 2026.