World Cup 2026: Morocco-France clash draws 151.6 million viewers

Matches involving Arab nations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup attracted a cumulative audience of more than 2.1 billion viewers across the Middle East and North Africa, with Morocco and Egypt’s historic campaigns driving record television audiences, according to beIN Sports.

The broadcaster said the 29 matches featuring Arab teams generated unprecedented interest throughout the tournament, highlighting the growing appeal of football across the region despite challenging kick-off times in North America.

Morocco’s historic run captivates millions

Morocco’s quarter-final defeat to France proved one of the biggest television events of the tournament, attracting 151.6 million viewers across the MENA region, according to independent audience measurement by Ipsos.

Despite kicking off at 11:00 p.m. Mecca time, the match reached almost the entire country, with beIN Sports reporting that 97% of Morocco’s adult population tuned in to watch the Atlas Lions’ historic campaign come to an end.

The Atlas Lions once again made history by becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals in consecutive editions, building on their groundbreaking semi-final appearance at Qatar 2022.

Morocco’s World Cup journey also delivered huge audiences throughout the tournament. Their opening 1-1 draw with Brazil attracted 75.5 million viewers, while the round-of-32 victory over the Netherlands was watched by 81.1 million people.

The 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada in the round of 16 drew 149 million viewers, making it the fourth most-watched match involving an Arab nation at the tournament.

Egypt set tournament audience record

Egypt’s dramatic round-of-16 clash with Argentina recorded the highest television audience of any match involving an Arab team.

The encounter attracted 192.6 million viewers, with the Pharaohs leading the defending champions by two goals before Argentina staged a dramatic comeback to win 3-2.

According to beIN Sports, 94% of Egypt’s adult population watched the match.

Egypt also made history during the tournament by recording their first-ever World Cup victory against New Zealand before defeating Australia to reach the knockout stage for the first time.

Their victory over Australia attracted 157.1 million viewers, making it the second most-watched match involving an Arab nation.

Record Arab participation boosts interest

The expanded 48-team World Cup featured a record eight Arab nations: Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.

Algeria reached the knockout stage, with their round-of-32 meeting with Switzerland attracting 123.1 million viewers, despite a 6:00 a.m. Mecca time kick-off.

World Cup debutants Jordan also attracted significant attention, with 65 million viewers watching their group-stage match against Argentina, which was attended by King Abdullah II.

Qatar claimed their first World Cup point with a draw against Switzerland, while Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia also contributed to the tournament’s record regional audience figures.

Overall, the 23 group-stage matches involving Arab teams generated a combined audience of 1.25 billion viewers, averaging more than 54 million per match.

The six knockout-stage matches attracted a further 854 million viewers, averaging more than 142 million viewers per game.

‘Achievements shared across the region’

beIN Sports Managing Director for the MENA region, Mohammed Al-Bader, described the tournament as a landmark moment for Arab football.

“The record audiences that followed them tell their own story about the passion of our fans.”

Al-Bader said the participation of eight Arab nations, Morocco’s second consecutive quarter-final appearance and Egypt’s first-ever qualification for the last 16 represented milestones for football across the region.

The broadcaster aired every match of the 2026 World Cup live across 24 markets in the Middle East and North Africa in Arabic, English and French, with the viewing figures underlining the growing influence of Arab football and the unwavering support for the region’s national teams on the global stage.