What is the most watched sporting event?
The FIFA World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world. FIFA said about 1.5 billion people watched the 2022 final between Argentina and France.
The World Cup takes place every four years and lasts about a month. FIFA estimated that around five billion people engaged with the 2022 tournament in Qatar in some way. The final, won by Argentina on penalties after a 3-3 draw, is often described as one of the greatest matches ever played.
The Summer Olympics also attract huge global audiences, but they are spread across many sports and two weeks. The opening ceremony is usually the most watched single moment of the Games. Individual sporting events like the Super Bowl draw over 100 million viewers, mostly in the United States.
Growing audiences
Streaming and social media now make up a large part of sports viewing, making audiences harder to measure. The 2026 World Cup in North America, the first with 48 teams and 104 matches, was expected to set new records for total viewers.
Did You Know?
Cricket matches between India and Pakistan are among the most watched sports events, with hundreds of millions of viewers in South Asia.