Portugal v Spain World Cup clash sets global internet traffic record

Portugal’s World Cup defeat to Spain wasn’t just one of the most-watched sporting events of the year – it also helped set a new global internet traffic record.

Internet exchange operator DE-CIX said online traffic across its worldwide network reached an all-time high during Monday’s last-16 clash, as millions of fans streamed the match, followed live updates and shared reactions on social media.

The record peak of 28.4 terabits per second was recorded at 8.35pm Lisbon time, shortly after kick-off.

To put that into perspective, DE-CIX said it was equivalent to streaming more than 15 million TikTok videos simultaneously, or printing enough sheets of paper to create a stack around 22 times taller than Mount Everest.

According to the company, World Cup matches now generate some of the biggest spikes in internet traffic anywhere in the world, with millions of viewers watching on smart TVs, phones, tablets and computers at the same time.

The surge is driven not only by live streaming, but also by real-time statistics, AI-generated highlights, social media posts and second-screen apps that fans use while watching the match.

“The FIFA World Cup is one of the largest synchronised streaming events on the planet,” said DE-CIX chief executive Ivo Ivanov, who added that the new record demonstrated the growing importance of reliable internet infrastructure for major live events.

The Portugal-Spain match, which Spain won 1-0 with a stoppage-time goal from Mikel Merino, was also the most-watched programme of the day on Portuguese television, according to CAEM/MediaMonitor.

Michael Bruxo

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.