The opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign between Mexico and South Africa attracted a peak television audience of 4.9 million viewers in France on M6, the country’s official free-to-air broadcaster for the tournament. This figure represents a 28.5% share of the viewing audience, making it the most-watched program of the evening, surpassing France 3’s television film ‘Le Canal des secrets’ which garnered 18.5%.
According to data reported by VM, this is the highest viewership for a World Cup opening match in France since the 2014 tournament in Brazil. That match, between Brazil and Croatia, averaged 8.2 million viewers on TF1, with a 35.4% audience share. The Mexico-South Africa match also achieved the highest audience share among viewers under 50 since 2010.
The broadcast’s success is partially attributed to the match's dramatic nature, which included three red cards. The high level of engagement suggests considerable public interest in the expanded 2026 World Cup format, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Elsewhere in European football news, several other transfer and club updates have emerged. Ligue 1 side Toulouse have reportedly allowed an 18-year-old defender to join Juventus. Will Still has returned to Ligue 1 management, while Ousmane Dembélé has expressed his eagerness to see Zinedine Zidane take charge of the French national team. Bayern Munich are also preparing to reject a substantial offer for Michael Olise, indicating the club’s commitment to retaining the winger. Patrick Videira has extended his contract with Le Mans until 2029 following a successful period with the club.
