Mexico vs England most watched match of the century
Generated 60 million viewers and billions of pesos

The round-of-16 match between Mexico and England in the 2026 World Cup became the most-watched television broadcast of the century, drawing nearly 60 million viewers, according to Gabriela Cuevas, the head of Mexico’s 2026 World Cup Coordination.   

World Cup viewership data backs up the Commission’s claim of a 60‑million global audience for the Mexico–England round‑of‑16 clash, with U.S. Nielsen figures alone approaching 45 million across English and Spanish platforms. In the United States, Fox’s English‑language broadcast averaged about 21.7 million viewers, peaking at roughly 25.7 million in the frantic final minutes at the Azteca. On the Spanish‑language side, Telemundo and Peacock combined for a Total Audience Delivery of 23.1 million, setting a new record for Spanish‑language soccer in the U.S. Together, these numbers underscore how Mexico–England has become the most‑watched soccer match in U.S. history and a centerpiece of this World Cup’s surging television and streaming reach 

Cuevas also noted that the tournament generated an economic impact exceeding 50 billion pesos (about 2.85 billion USD) across the three Mexican host cities: Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.  Mexico City’s total World Cup economic impact is estimated at roughly US $1.3–1.6 billion in additional activity, tied to around 1.1 million visitors over the tournament.  The National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism for Mexico City (CANACO CDMX) reports an impact of about MX$22.68 billion (roughly US $1.3 billion) and around 80,000 temporary jobs in the capital from World Cup‑related tourism, hospitality, retail, and transport. mexicobusines. Cuevas also reported that Mexico City International Airport alone generated 6.5 billion pesos (almost 371 million USD) during the event. 

During a review of the World Cup results, Cuevas indicated that four repeat games and 13 matches were played in Mexico. She added that four new audience records were set, with the duel between Mexico and England being the largest yet. 

 In terms of security and medical care, she said that 99,000 security officers participated, along with a Globalist Hospital Network comprising 583 hospitals. The Federal Consumer Prosecutor’s Office provided advice to 4,739 people regarding various cases reported during the World Cup.

Translated and edited by Debra Fairbanks