England's victory against Croatia brought ITV the biggest television audience of the year in the United Kingdom
The 2026 World Cup match between England and Croatia, played on 17 June at Dallas Stadium in Group L, became the most-watched television event of the year in the United Kingdom. According to figures released by ITV, the broadcast was watched on television sets by a peak audience of 15.4 million viewers. The same source stated that the match was watched from the opening to the final whistle by an average of 14.2 million people, while the entire programme, broadcast from 20:00 to 23:35 British time, averaged 10 million viewers. The figures refer to viewing via television devices, and ITV noted that, at the time of publication, viewing data for phones, tablets and computers had not been included. The result can therefore be interpreted as a very strong indicator of television reach, but not as the final total audience across all platforms.
England beat Croatia 4:2 in Dallas in a match that combined high sporting stakes, a late kick-off for part of the European audience and a history of head-to-head meetings at major tournaments. According to FIFA's official match record, Harry Kane scored in the 12th minute from a retaken penalty and again in the 42nd minute, while Jude Bellingham in the 47th minute and Marcus Rashford in the 85th minute completed the victory. Croatia came back twice in the first half, first through Martin Baturina's goal in the 36th minute, and then through Petar Musa in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time. That course of the match maintained high tension until the closing stages, which further explained why the television audience remained exceptionally large throughout the broadcast.
The biggest television peak of 2026 and the strongest signal of interest in England
ITV announced that the peak of 15.4 million viewers was the biggest television peak in the United Kingdom during 2026. According to the same announcement, the match surpassed the previous highest result of the year, achieved by the television format The Traitors with 9.8 million viewers. ITV also stated that the broadcast of the England-Croatia match had the largest audience in the 16-to-34 age group this year, with 2.3 million viewers in that segment. For sports broadcasters, this is a particularly important figure because it shows that major football tournaments can still gather younger television audiences at a time when viewing is increasingly fragmented between linear programming, streaming and short digital formats. In that sense, the match was not only a sporting event, but also a rare example of simultaneous mass viewing in a markedly changed media environment.
It is important, however, to distinguish several levels of these figures. The average of 14.2 million refers to the match itself from the first to the final whistle, while the average of 10 million was calculated for the broader programme block with the build-up, analysis and post-match reactions. Data for mobile devices and computers was not included in ITV's initial announcement, so the actual reach of the match was probably higher than the television result. The Guardian, citing BARB data, reported that measurements in the early phase of the tournament primarily related to viewing via main channels and streaming services on television screens, while part of the digital audience is counted separately. This is important for a precise reading of the ratings: the television record remains relevant, but it does not encompass all the ways in which the audience followed the match.
ITV took an early lead in the British World Cup broadcast ratings race
The high viewership of the England-Croatia match fitted into the broader picture of ITV's strong start in the first days of the World Cup. The Guardian, citing BARB data, reported that ITV had four of the five most-watched televised matches in the United Kingdom in the first week of the tournament. At the top was the England-Croatia meeting with a peak of 15.4 million viewers, while the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa had a peak of 7.7 million viewers and an average of 6.6 million. According to the same report, the BBC's most-watched match at that stage was the meeting between France and Senegal, with a peak of 6.7 million television viewers. In the early phase of the tournament, the schedule of selected matches therefore played a direct role in the balance of power between the two major broadcasters.
The British model of World Cup broadcasting remains specific because the BBC and ITV share the rights to the tournament. In April 2026, Ofcom announced that it had given consent to the BBC and ITV for the exclusive live broadcast of the 2026 and 2030 men's World Cup tournaments. The regulatory framework for so-called protected sporting events in the United Kingdom aims to ensure that competitions of major public interest, including football World Cups, are widely available to the public. That is precisely why the figures from the England-Croatia match have a broader meaning than the simple success of a single broadcast: they show how much strength free national television channels still have when they broadcast matches from the biggest international football competition. For ITV, it is particularly important that the record was achieved at the start of the tournament, at a moment when viewing habits, broadcast schedules and public interest are only just taking shape.
A match that justified the status of a major television event
The sporting content of the match gave the broadcast additional weight. According to the official England Football report, England took the lead after Noni Madueke reacted before Luka Modrić in the penalty area, and the Croatian captain brought him down while trying to clear the ball. Kane's first spot kick was saved by Dominik Livaković, but the penalty was retaken because Joško Gvardiol had entered the penalty area before the kick, after which the England captain scored for 1:0. Croatia responded with Baturina's goal, and Kane then headed England back in front after a corner. In the closing stages of the first half, Ivan Perišić found space and sent the ball towards Musa, who scored for 2:2.
The second half brought a clearer rhythm from England and greater pressure towards the Croatian goal. England Football states that Bellingham, already in the 47th minute, exploited space on the right side, entered the penalty area and struck into the far corner for England's third lead of the match. Livaković then made a series of important saves and kept Croatia in the game, while Jordan Pickford had to react late on to an attempt by Marco Pašalić. Five minutes before the end, Rashford, after coming on from the bench, received the ball in space, moved inside and scored for the final 4:2. According to FIFA's statistical data, England finished the match with 22 shots towards goal, 11 of them on target, while Croatia had 10 attempts and five shots on target.
Such a match structure was particularly suitable for television coverage. An early penalty, two Croatian comebacks, a change of rhythm immediately after the break and a late goal from the bench created a narrative capable of retaining occasional viewers, not only supporters of the two national teams. In addition, the England-Croatia match has additional international recognisability because of their previous meetings at major competitions. England Football recalled in its match preview that the two national teams had previously met at the World Cup in the 2018 semi-final, when Croatia won after extra time, and that this was their fourth meeting at a major tournament in the 21st century. That background increased the market value of the match even before kick-off, and the action on the pitch confirmed why the encounter attracted exceptional attention.
Dallas as the stage for an expanded tournament
The match was played at Dallas Stadium, the official name FIFA uses for the stadium in North Texas during the tournament. In June, FIFA confirmed the final capacities of all sixteen stadiums for the 2026 World Cup, listing Dallas Stadium with a capacity of 70,649 seats. That figure underlines the scale of a tournament being held in 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America, with 48 national teams and 104 matches. FIFA described the tournament as the biggest edition of the World Cup to date, and the expansion in the number of teams and matches also increased the number of time slots that global broadcasters have to cover. For European television audiences, this means broadcasts across different time zones, from earlier evening slots to matches that end late at night.
In that context, the result of the England-Croatia match for ITV gains even greater weight. The broadcast began in prime evening time in the United Kingdom and finished late, but the audience remained very high until the end of the match. This shows that the schedule of the North American tournament can be challenging, but at the same time provides strong television slots for certain matches involving European national teams. For FIFA and broadcasters, this is a particularly important signal because the first editions of the expanded format are being closely monitored in terms of both sporting and commercial impact. The large viewership of the England-Croatia match shows that an increased number of matches does not necessarily have to dilute interest if the schedule brings recognisable national teams, high stakes and a dramatic course of play.
What the figures mean for the continuation of Group L
The 4:2 victory gave England a strong start in Group L, in which Ghana and Panama are also competing. According to England Football's schedule, England play Ghana on 23 June at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, and Panama on 27 June at New York New Jersey Stadium. Given that, in the expanded format, the best national teams from twelve groups progress to the knockout phase, early points have special importance. With victory against Croatia, England gained an advantage over an opponent with a very strong global tournament pedigree, including the 2018 final and another finish among the top three national teams at the last two editions of the competition. Croatia, on the other hand, will have to seek points in the rest of the group that would return control over qualification to them.
For television companies, the continuation of England's campaign now has an even clearer commercial and editorial framework. The high viewership of the first match creates expectations that every subsequent England match will attract strong interest, especially if Thomas Tuchel's team continues to play openly and efficiently. ITV stated in its announcement that it will broadcast England's match against Panama on 27 June, while The Guardian reported that the BBC has England's match against Ghana and more early picks in the later knockout stages. This means that the competition between broadcasters will not be measured only by a single record, but also by how the audience behaves throughout the tournament. The Dallas record is therefore the starting point of a bigger story about the combination of sporting success, national interest and transformed viewing habits.
A record that goes beyond one match
The viewership of the England-Croatia match shows that the football World Cup still produces shared media moments that are increasingly difficult to achieve in a fragmented television environment. According to ITV, the broadcast was the biggest television peak of the year and the biggest peak on any channel or streaming service since the 2024 European Championship. Such a comparison places the match not only in a sporting context, but also in a broader cultural one, because few events can compare with the audience gathered by the appearances of major national teams on the world stage. At the same time, the limitation of the initial data to television devices warns that the full picture of viewership today is obtained only when linear channels, streaming on televisions and personal digital devices are combined. It is precisely this combination that will increasingly determine how the biggest sports broadcasts are valued.
For England, victory against Croatia was sporting confirmation of ambitions at the tournament, and for ITV clear proof that the choice of matches in the first days of the World Cup can shape the perception of the entire television contest. For Croatia, the defeat came after a match in which it twice showed the ability to come back, but did not withstand the pressure of England's attack in the second half. According to FIFA and England Football records, the match offered six goals, a large difference in the number of shots and several individual performances that will remain important in discussions about the continuation of the tournament. In media terms, 15.4 million viewers at the peak remains a figure that sets the benchmark for all subsequent major broadcasts of the 2026 World Cup in the United Kingdom.
Sources:
- ITV Press Centre – announcement on the viewership of ITV's broadcast of the England - Croatia match at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA Match Centre – official result, scorers and statistics of the England - Croatia match in Group L (link)
- FIFA – report and highlights of the England - Croatia 4:2 match (link)
- England Football – official Match Centre with the match timeline and line-ups (link)
- England Football – confirmed England schedule in Group L at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- The Guardian – report on early ITV and BBC television figures during the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Ofcom – decision on consent for the BBC and ITV to broadcast the 2026 and 2030 World Cups (link)
- FIFA Inside – confirmed stadium capacities and the broader context of the biggest edition of the 2026 World Cup (link)