An average of 14 million tuned into the BBC to see England go through to the next round

BBC Sport 2026 World Cup

A peak of 16.3 million viewers tuned into England’s 2-1 victory over DR Congo in the World Cup Last 32.

An average of 14 million watched as Harry Kane scored twice to see the Three Lions through to the next round of the World Cup, and it was the most-watched moment on the BBC this year to date.

There were also 10.4 million streams across BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app, plus BBC Sport’s live coverage page on the website and app was viewed more than 20 million times globally including 14 million times in the UK with 860,000 visitors aged 16-24. It was the BBC Sport website’s biggest day since the last men’s World Cup in 2022, with 10.8 million unique users. 

In addition, there were 1.36 million concurrent streams of the BBC’s UHD coverage, and 285,000 uses of its 3D immersive experience for the game. 

Outside of the live match, Football Daily’s visualised podcast ihas generated more than 2 million streams during the group stages, with one standout episode attracting over 250,000 streams.

Across social media, BBC Sport has driven 889 million video views during the tournament so far. The most-watched clip has reached 14.34 million views, with fans wanting to hear Virgil Van Dijk’s verdict on the tournament’s hydration breaks.

Finally, BBC Sport’s World Cup documentary content is also drawing audiences. England 2006: The Golden Generation has delivered up to 2.4 million views across BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport Football YouTube channel, alongside 9.2 million social video views and 335,000 engagements.

BBC director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski said: “These are extraordinary audience figures that show the BBC is the place the nation comes together for the biggest sporting moments. England’s dramatic victory captured millions across TV, iPlayer, BBC Sport digital platforms and social media, with audiences consuming the tournament in record numbers. Whether it’s premium UHD coverage, new immersive experiences or world-class analysis, we’re proud to be delivering the moments that matter to audiences wherever and however they choose to follow the tournament, as England’s World Cup journey continues.”