Tuesday's FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between the United States and Mexico averaged 2.24 million viewers for ESPN. That was the network's second-most viewed World Cup Qualifier or International Friendly match ever, behind only the two countries' earlier match in March.
The Americans' 2-0 win over Mexico, which officially punched the USA's ticket to next summer's World Cup in Brazil, also matched ESPN's best-ever rating with a 1.4 HH mark. The two USA-Mexico World Cup qualifying matches have helped boost the average rating for the current round of qualifiers on ESPN networks by 60% (0.8) compared to the 2010 qualifiers (0.5). The qualifying match between the USA and Panama in June ranks third in those measurements with a 0.8 rating and 1.43 million viewers.
Columbus, Ohio, (where the match was held) was the top market for the telecast with a 5.1 rating.
