This has been a FIFA World Cup^TM like no other for Arab football – and the region has watched it like never before. With a record eight Arab teams competing at the expanded 48-team tournament, Egypt reached the Round of 16 for the first time in FIFA World Cup^TM history, while the Pharaohs and Morocco became the first two Arab nations ever to reach the last 16 at the same finals. Fans across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) responded in extraordinary numbers, beIN SPORTS can reveal, with Egypt’s last-16 epic against Argentina drawing 192.6 million viewers – the most-watched of the tournament's 29 matches involving Arab teams – and Morocco’s quarter-final against France attracting a viewership of 151.6 million, according to independent audience measurement by Ipsos.

beIN, the leading sports broadcaster in the region, has shown every match of this summer's tournament live and exclusive, with rights spanning 24 markets across MENA. With the finals staged in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, kick-offs have arrived at 01:00, 04:00 and 06:00 MECCA – and the region has risen for its teams every time, with pre-dawn audiences of more than 100 million proving that when Arab teams can and do make history, distance and time zones are no barrier to passion.

Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia carried the region's hopes to North America – and the history-making began early. Qatar claimed their first-ever World Cup^TM point by holding eventual quarter-finalists Switzerland, while debutants Jordan scored in all three of their group matches – including against world champions Argentina, watched from the stands by King Abdullah II and by 65 million viewers at home. Algeria, meanwhile, progressed to the knockout rounds, where 123.1 million rose and stayed awake for the 06:00 MECCA kick-off of their last-32 tie with Switzerland.

No side made more history than Egypt. The Pharaohs claimed a first-ever World Cup^TM victory by beating New Zealand 3-1, then a first knockout win by seeing off Australia in front of more than 157 million viewers – setting up a maiden Round of 16 appearance against world champions Argentina. Leading 2-0 with 12 minutes remaining, Egypt pushed the champions to the very brink before falling 3-2 in an unforgettable finale. With a prime-time 19:00 MECCA kick-off, 192.6 million viewers tuned in – the biggest audience of any Arab match at the tournament. In Egypt itself, 94% of the entire adult population watched the match – a nation united behind its team.

Morocco, history-making semi-finalists in 2022, wrote a new chapter of their own by becoming the first African and Arab team to reach two consecutive quarter-finals. The Atlas Lions defeated the Netherlands (81.1m) in the last 32 to join Egypt in the Round of 16 – an Arab double never before seen at a FIFA World Cup™ – before overcoming co-hosts Canada (149m) to reach the last eight. Their quarter-final against France in Boston kicked off at 23:00 MECCA and was watched by 151.6 million, including a remarkable 97% of Morocco's adult population.

The group stage set the tone. The most-watched first-phase match was Egypt’s 1-1 draw with Iran, which drew more than 107 million viewers to a 06:00 MECCA kick-off. The Pharaohs’ 1-1 draw with Belgium (91.7m) and landmark win over New Zealand (84.8m) also attracted huge audiences, as did Morocco’s opening 1-1 draw with five-time champions Brazil (75.5m) – a 01:00 MECCA start – and Iraq’s meeting with Africa Cup of Nations 2025 finalists Senegal (71.4m). Even Saudi Arabia’s 03:00 MECCA encounter with Cabo Verde drew 44.9 million.

In total, the 29 matches involving Arab teams attracted a cumulative viewership of more than 2.1 billion. The 23 group-stage fixtures drew 1.25 billion viewers – an average of more than 54 million per match – before the knockout rounds lifted audiences higher still: the six Arab ties drew a combined 854 million viewers, at an average of more than 142 million per match.

Mohammed Al-Bader, Managing Director of beIN Channels – MENA, said: “This has been a historic FIFA World Cup^TM for Arab football, and it has been an honour to bring every moment of it live and exclusive to fans across the region. A record eight Arab nations, Egypt’s first Round of 16, and Morocco’s back-to-back quarter-finals are achievements that belong to the entire region – and the record audiences that followed them tell their own story about the passion of our fans and the connection they share with their national teams. These are moments that will inspire a generation across the region, and we are proud that fans experienced every one of them on beIN."

beIN has been the exclusive home of the FIFA World Cup™ across the Middle East and North Africa since 2014, cementing its position as the undisputed home of football in the region. Throughout the tournament, beIN SPORTS has delivered comprehensive trilingual coverage live and exclusive across an array of eight dedicated channels.

Top 10 FIFA World Cup 2026^TM Matches Featuring Arab Teams