England, Belgium and the USA Advance to the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 as Day 21 Tops the Ratings on Antena 1
DR Congo, Senegal and Bosnia Eliminated in Another Day of Astonishing Records
Last night, starting at 7:00 PM, live on Antena 1 and AntenaPLAY, England faced DR Congo on the fourth day of the FIFA World Cup Round of 32, broadcast exclusively across the Antena universe. Viewers watched with bated breath as England moved one step closer to a trophy they have not lifted in 60 years. England vs DR Congo and Belgium vs Senegal, together with Mexico vs Ecuador—whose audience figures were released today—were the most-watched broadcasts, making the 21st day of the FIFA World Cup the ratings leader. Antena 1 also ranked first in both Prime Time and across the entire broadcast day.
Today, all eyes are once again on Antena, where football welcomes a new generation, live on Antena 1 and AntenaPLAY. From 10:00 PM, the European champions, led by an 18-year-old prodigy rewriting history, take on the survivors in Spain vs Austria. Then, from 2:00 AM, stars worth hundreds of millions of euros, alongside the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, face another legend, Luka Modrić, in Portugal vs Croatia. At 6:00 AM, coffee is best enjoyed in front of the TV as Switzerland meet Algeria, with both sides chasing a place in the Round of 16.
Yesterday's latest Round of 32 clash saw England take on DR Congo. The match, played between 7:00 PM and 9:01 PM and ending 2-1, aired live on Antena 1 and AntenaPLAY and ranked first among viewers, posting a 34.6% audience share and a 7.4 rating among the commercial audience aged 21–54, ahead of Pro TV's 25.4% share and 5.4 rating. The same ranking held among the urban audience, where the match recorded a 26.8% audience share and a 7.8 rating, compared to Pro TV's 20.2% share and 5.9 rating. Nationwide, Antena 1 also led with a 23.1% audience share and a 6.1 rating, followed by Pro TV with a 20.1% share and a 5.3 rating. At the golden minute (8:51 PM), more than 1.6 million viewers were watching the match on Antena 1.
Belgium vs Senegal, broadcast between 11:00 PM and 1:51 AM and ending 3-2, was also the viewers' top choice, delivering a 37.6% audience share among the commercial audience aged 21–54, compared to Pro TV's 17.3%. The same hierarchy was maintained among the urban audience, where Antena 1 recorded a 31.6% audience share versus Pro TV's 13.6%, as well as nationwide, where Antena 1 posted a 26.4% audience share, ahead of Pro TV's 16.6%. Antena 1 also topped the rankings across the entire day, recording a 2.8 rating and a 27.1% audience share, and led throughout Prime Time (7:00 PM–12:00 AM) with a 7.0 rating and a 31% audience share among viewers aged 21–54.
Mexico vs Ecuador, which ended 2-0 and whose audience data became available today, also emerged as a clear ratings winner. Broadcast live between 5:00 AM and 7:02 AM on Antena 1 and AntenaPLAY, the match achieved a 42.2% audience share among the commercial audience aged 21–54, ahead of Pro TV's 26.7%. The same ranking was maintained among the urban audience, where Antena 1 recorded a 34% audience share compared to Pro TV's 24.5%, as well as nationwide, where Antena 1 achieved a 27.8% audience share versus Pro TV's 26.2%.
Last night, Harry Kane staged the comeback live on Antena 1 and AntenaPLAY as England defeated DR Congo 2-1. Kane scored twice to send Thomas Tuchel's side into the Round of 16. DR Congo led at half-time thanks to Cipenga's goal, but despite Mpasi's outstanding saves, they could not hold on. Another record was set during the match, as Kane's brace took his World Cup tally to 13 goals, moving him ahead of Pelé and level with Just Fontaine. Lionel Messi leads the all-time rankings with 19 goals, followed by Kylian Mbappé (18), Miroslav Klose (16), Ronaldo (15), and Thomas Müller (14). England will now face Mexico live on Antena 1 and AntenaPLAY in the Round of 16.
The excitement continued close to midnight with Belgium's dramatic 3-2 victory over Senegal, broadcast live on Antena 1 and AntenaPLAY, as the match produced several remarkable records. After Senegal raced into a 2-0 lead, the Red Devils scored twice in just three minutes to force extra time. Ismaïla Sarr, one of Senegal's scorers, found the net following a lightning-fast counterattack to equal a 36-year-old World Cup record, becoming the African player with the most goals scored at the tournament. Only Roger Milla had previously achieved the feat, at the 1990 World Cup. Goals from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans restored parity in only three minutes, setting another record. Belgium became the first national team in World Cup history to avoid defeat after trailing by two goals as late as the 85th minute. The records did not stop there. Tielemans' penalty also became the latest successful penalty ever converted in a FIFA World Cup finals match, surpassing the previous mark set by Djabou, who scored against Germany in the 120+1 minute at the 2014 World Cup.
This morning, the United States secured a place in the Round of 16 with a convincing 2-0 victory over Bosnia despite playing with ten men. For only the second time in their history, the USA won a World Cup knockout match and advanced to the Round of 16 despite being reduced to ten players from the 64th minute. Folarin Balogun, the AS Monaco striker, scored once again for the United States to take his tally to three goals at this World Cup before being sent off in the 64th minute following a dangerous foul on Muharemović. Balogun became only the fourth player in FIFA World Cup history to score and then receive a red card in a knockout-stage match. Ronaldinho (2002), Zinedine Zidane (2006), and Garrincha (1962) are the only others to have done so. Despite being a man down after Balogun's dismissal, Mauricio Pochettino's side added a second goal through Tillman.
FIFA World Cup – Day 22 Schedule | Lamine Yamal and Cristiano Ronaldo Chase a Place in the Round of 16
- Spain vs Austria — 10:00 PM | Los Angeles Stadium
- Portugal vs Croatia — 2:00 AM | Toronto Stadium
- Switzerland vs Algeria — 6:00 AM | BC Place, Vancouver
Source: Fifty5Blue
Copyright: ARMADATA S.R.L.
Data processed by the Antena Group Research Department.
Analysis based on the 21–54 Urban Commercial, Urban Total, and National targets.
Period: July 1, 2026.
