The 2026 World Cup journey for the USMNT ended in the Round of 16 with a tough 4-1 loss to Belgium, a game watched by an incredible 30 million people on FOX, setting a new record for the biggest soccer broadcast in U.S. history. But for midfielder Weston McKennie, who started all five matches, that massive viewership and the team’s exit created a truly “bittersweet” feeling.
Record Viewership and a Bittersweet Exit
You gotta hand it to the squad, they played their hearts out. The USMNT pulled off a huge feat, winning their group for the first time since way back in 2010. That’s a serious step up, and it showed the world this team wasn’t just there to participate. They had real ambition. But then came the Round of 16, and Belgium proved too much, handing them that 4-1 defeat. It stings, no doubt, especially when you consider how many eyes were on them. Thirty million people tuned in to watch that game. Think about that: 30 million fans, all locked in, seeing this team make history on one hand, then crash out on the other. That kind of exposure? It changes things.
McKennie Says The Real Win Was Off The Pitch
McKennie didn’t mince words, telling USA TODAY Sports it was tough because “at the end of the day, you want to go as far as you can and I felt like we want to go further, obviously.” Every athlete wants that glory, right? But he also highlighted something bigger, something that might just be the actual long-term victory for soccer in the States. He said, “one of the things we wanted to accomplish was change the way that Americans view soccer here, or how they enjoy soccer here.” And by all accounts, it looks like they did just that. He talked about “a lot of comments about people that have never been soccer fans becoming soccer fans and getting into the game.” That’s huge.
So, while the tournament run didn’t end with a trophy, the USMNT, with McKennie leading the charge, sparked something real across the nation. They might not have gone as far as they hoped, but they definitely lit a fire for soccer in America. That’s a win you can’t put on a scoreboard.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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