The 2026 FIFA World Cup reached 146.2x US audience demand, surpassing Super Bowl LX and generating 2.3 times the World Series peak. It also sustained attention across 39 days.

The report examines what this scale could mean for sports media rights, athlete value, and soccer’s post-tournament opportunity in America.

3 key takeaways:

• See who won the battle for American attention. Compare the World Cup’s 146.2x peak demand with the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series and Stanley Cup Final.

• Discover the teams and players audiences followed. Learn why Argentina outperformed the U.S. national team and how Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and other football icons ranked alongside America’s biggest sports stars.

• Separate the tournament halo from lasting growth. Explore the immediate post-final lift for MLS and the data showing why long-term conversion is still an open question.