According to RMC, Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the 2026 World Cup final, a match that attracted 12.24 million viewers in France.
These figures are quite astonishing. At 9 PM Beijing time on Sunday, 12.24 million French viewers tuned in to watch Spain defeat Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final. According to Ozap, the match accounted for 59.2% of the total audience.
This number would have been even higher if France had reached the 2026 World Cup final. Four years ago, the final between France and Argentina drew massive audiences in France. On Sunday, December 18, 2022, the World Cup final, broadcast live on TF1 at 4 pm, attracted 24.08 million viewers, achieving an 81.0% share of viewership. This remains the highest viewership record in French television history.
The highest-rated 2026 World Cup match in France is France vs. Spain.
beIN Sports, another broadcaster of the 2026 World Cup in France, has not released viewership data for its broadcasts. Therefore, the available data is insufficient to determine the overall viewership of the tournament among French audiences watching via pay-TV.
Although the Spain vs. Argentina final didn't reach the peak viewership of 2022, the French team still holds the record for the highest viewership of the 2026 World Cup in France. The semi-final between France and Spain attracted 20.244 million viewers on M6, achieving a market share of 73.1%. This match is also the highest-rated World Cup game in France in 2026.
