Overview
The US team will face Belgium in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup with the goal of reaching the quarter-finals for the second time in history.
The co-host team won a ticket to the next round after a 2-0 victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina in the round of 32, and closed the group stage with the top spot in Group D. However, that victory was not complete when key striker Folarin Balogun received a red card.
Balogun became the fourth player in history to both score and be sent off in a World Cup knockout match, after Zinedine Zidane (2006), Ronaldinho (2002) and Garrincha (1962).
Balogun scored 3 goals after only 11 shots, achieving a conversion rate of 27.3%, while the rest of the team only scored 5 goals from 41 shots, equivalent to 12.2%.
The 25-year-old striker also became the third American player to score at least 3 goals in a World Cup, after Bert Patenaude (1930) and Landon Donovan (2010).
After the hard-fought victory over Paraguay in the opening match, the US team scored at least 2 goals in each subsequent match, becoming the first team outside of Europe and South America to do this in 4 consecutive matches at the World Cup.
Set-piece situations are also a powerful weapon of the home team. 4 of their goals came from dead balls, including a free kick goal by Malik Tillman against Bosnia & Herzegovina. This is only the second goal from a direct free kick of the US team in World Cup history, after Eric Wynalda's famous goal at the 1994 tournament.
On the other side, Belgium still possesses a seasoned squad. Romelu Lukaku is trying to regain his best physical condition, while Kevin De Bruyne has not yet reached the ideal physical foundation.
In the previous round, Belgium created a spectacular comeback against Senegal. Being led 0-2, they rose up strongly when Lukaku narrowed the score before captain Youri Tielemans scored the equalizer just 159 seconds later, putting the match into extra time.
When the penalty shootout seemed unavoidable, Tielemans scored the decisive goal in the 125th minute - the latest goal in World Cup history - helping Belgium qualify for the round of 16.
This is also the first time since the 2018 World Cup that Belgium has won a knockout match after being led by 2 goals.
In addition to Lukaku and De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard is also a noteworthy factor. The Arsenal winger created 16 chances from live balls at the 2026 World Cup, only less than Lionel Messi's record of 17 chances at the 2022 World Cup and a new record for the Belgian national team.
Head-to-head record
Head-to-head history does not stand on the US team's side before the clash with Belgium. After a 3-0 victory at the first World Cup in 1930, the US has lost all six recent encounters with Belgium, and has conceded an average of 2.5 goals per match.
The most recent meeting between the two teams took place in an international friendly match in March this year. At that time, Belgium showed superior strength to defeat the USA with a score of 5-2 right on the away field.
Score prediction: USA 0-1 Belgium
The match between the US and Belgium takes place at 7:00 am on July 7 (Vietnam time).
