A soccer match, not a final, just drew 24.4 million U.S. viewers—nearly the 2022 World Cup peak

The USMNT's Round of 16 win on July 1 pulled 24.4 million Fox viewers, matching the 2022 final's 25 million. A knockout-round game—not a marquee fixture—suggests home advantage and favorable kickoff times have lifted American soccer's ceiling far beyond its old range. U.S. Soccer's broadcast deals and MLS valuations now rest on that shifted demand.