The 2026 FIFA World Cup has set historic milestones for Arab football, with beIN SPORTS reporting unprecedented engagement across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
A record eight Arab nations—Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia—competed in the expanded tournament, drawing a cumulative audience of over 2.1 billion viewers across 29 matches.
History was made as Egypt and Morocco both reached the Round of 16, with Egypt’s clash against Argentina becoming the most-watched match involving an Arab team, pulling in 192.6 million viewers.
Despite challenging time zones, fans showed immense dedication, with pre-dawn kick-offs consistently drawing audiences exceeding 100 million.
Independent data from Ipsos confirms this tournament as a landmark moment for regional sports media, highlighting the immense passion for football across the MENA region.
