Wales’s opening World Cup encounter drew a larger audience than England’s, according to overnight figures.
The average UK audience for England’s match against Iran was 7.4 million, according to rating agency Barb.
In comparison, 9.4 million people watched Wales play the United States on ITV.
The timing of the matches somewhat explains the disparity; the England play took place during office hours in the United Kingdom on Monday, whereas the Wales match occurred during primetime evening hours.
But although England participated in the previous World Cup in 2018, Wales participated in its first World Cup match in 64 years.
On the first day of the competition in Qatar, England defeated Iran 6-2, while Wales and the United States tied 1-1.
The Wales match was also carried on S4C, whose viewership is not included in ITV’s figures.
Gareth Bale stated that he had “no qualms” about taking the penalty that led to Wales’ first World Cup goal since 1958.
The United States was on the verge of victory until Walker Zimmerman fouled Gareth Bale in the 82nd minute, prompting Bale to convert the penalty kick.
The Prince of Wales demonstrated his support by tweeting in Welsh, accompanied by an image of his Wales supporter’s bucket hat.
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka scored twice in England’s victory, while Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, and Jack Grealish scored the other four goals.
Throughout the duration of the tournament, the total number of viewers viewing any given match will increase when additional data is included, such as the number of individuals who watched at different times or via particular catch-up systems.
