- Argentina win World Cup
- BBC beat ITV in viewers battle
- Almost 20m Brits watch game
WHAT HAPPENED? BBC beat ITV in the ratings for the 2022 World Cup final, claiming a peak audience of 14.9 million views for Sunday's match. Just 4.3m viewers chose to watch the game on ITV, which Argentina won 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw after extra-time. The figures do not include streaming services such as iPlayer and ITVX, or fans watching in communal places such as pubs.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: FIFA are yet to announce global viewing figures for the game but will be hoping for an increase on the 2018 final between Croatia and France. Over 1.12 billion people watched France win the final in Russia and a record 3.572 billion people viewed some part of the tournament.
DID YOU KNOW? In France’s Kylian Mbappe and Argentina’s Lionel Messi, this was the first ever World Cup final to see both teams have a player score at least twice. Mbappe himself was only the second ever hat-trick scorer in a World Cup final, after England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
Getty Images
Getty
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Fans must now wait another four years for the next World Cup. The 2026 edition takes place in the USA, Mexico and Canada and has been expanded to feature 48 teams.
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