Argentina’s World Cup victory over England attracted an average of 15.063 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched FIFA Men’s World Cup semifinal match in English-language U.S. television history.

The record-setting audience surpassed the previous mark set just a day earlier by Spain’s semifinal clash against France, which averaged 11.462 million viewers on Fox.

Argentina secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over England in Atlanta to book a place in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain. The match peaked with 22.177 million viewers between 4:45 p.m. and 5 p.m. ET, highlighting the massive interest generated by the contest.

The broadcast also became Fox’s most-watched Wednesday afternoon telecast ever. Viewership for the match was up 131 per cent compared to the average audience for the 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinals on Fox, which stood at 6.531 million viewers.

England appeared on course for victory after Anthony Gordon scored in the 55th minute following an assist from Morgan Rogers. However, Argentina staged a late comeback.

Enzo Fernandez equalised in the 87th minute before Lionel Messi set up Lautaro Martinez four minutes later for the winning goal that sent the defending champions into another World Cup final.

The victory extended Argentina’s quest to retain the title, while England’s wait for another World Cup triumph continued. The Three Lions have not lifted the trophy since 1966.

Fox’s latest record came less than 24 hours after Spain’s semifinal win over France established a new benchmark for World Cup semifinal viewership in English-language U.S. television.

Before this week’s matches, the most-watched FIFA Men’s World Cup semifinal telecast in English-language U.S. history was the France-Morocco clash at the 2022 tournament, which attracted 6.595 million viewers on Fox.

The Argentina-England audience was also 76 per cent higher than the average viewership for the 2022 World Cup semifinals, underscoring the growing popularity of the tournament among U.S. audiences