Ashleigh Hallam, who teaches English as a second language at a library in Indiana, is learning Spanish through soccer. She watches World Cup matches in Spanish on Telemundo, despite not understanding the announcers. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Many English-speaking Americans like Hallam are choosing Spanish-language broadcasts of the World Cup. They say the voices and emotions of Spanish commentators make the game more exciting. According to Telemundo, the number of English-speaking viewers increased by 30% during the 2026 World Cup.
At a fan fest in Miami, Caleb Triana, wearing a cowboy hat, celebrated the U.S. scoring its second goal. He was also watching the match in Spanish. "The voices of the Spanish commentators energize me," he said.
This trend shows the growing popularity of the World Cup in the U.S. Telemundo spokesperson Marta Manrique said, "Our goal is to serve not only Spanish-speaking viewers but all soccer fans."
In various U.S. cities, including the fan village at Rockefeller Center in New York, fans gathered to watch matches together. The opening match of the 2026 World Cup between Mexico and South Africa was held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.