Kansas City and Los Angeles Lead Local Ratings for Early World Cup Games

Recent data on local viewership for the United States men's national soccer team’s match against Paraguay indicates that fan interest varies significantly across different cities. Surprisingly, Kansas City emerged as the top market for the English-language broadcast, boasting a remarkable rating of 9.2 and a 29 share, according to Michael Mulvihill, President of Insights and Analytics at Fox Corporation.

The ratings reflect that 9.2% of households in Kansas City tuned in to watch the match, while 29% of those watching television at the time were engaged with the game. Following Kansas City in the ratings were Boston at 8.6, with both San Diego, Dallas, and St. Louis tied at 7.3.

When Spanish-language viewership is taken into account, Los Angeles takes the lead, achieving a combined rating of 13.4 and a share of 42. This figure highlights the city's strong engagement, especially among its significant Hispanic population. In comparison, during the 2025 World Series, Los Angeles had an average rating of 17.6.

The top five markets for the combined English and Spanish ratings included Miami at 12.4, Houston at 9.6, and Dallas and Kansas City both at 9.4. The differences in ratings underscore how cities with higher Hispanic populations tend to show stronger support for soccer.

In addition to ratings for the USA-Paraguay match, Fox reported national averages for other games, such as the Mexico-South Africa match, which drew 7.19 million English-language viewers, significantly up from the 2022 opener. As soccer continues to gain traction in the United States, tracking which cities are most passionate about the sport promises to be an intriguing development.