Tournament co-hosts USA face a stern test against Belgium on Monday with a place in the World Cup quarter-finals at stake in Seattle.
How Both Sides Got Here
The USA finished top of Group D before scraping past Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the Round of 32, though the win came the hard way after Folarin Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute for a challenge on an opposing defender.
Belgium, meanwhile, won Group G, and pulled off one of the most dramatic comebacks of the tournament so far, coming from 2-0 down against Senegal to win 3-2 after extra time, thanks to a Youri Tielemans brace and a late Romelu Lukaku strike.
USA vs. Belgium in Seattle on July 6th 🇺🇸🇧🇪
Another must-see Round of 16 matchup 🍿#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/jqpGZkiE7M
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 2, 2026
Big Storyline: Balogun’s red card
FIFA’s automatic suspension rules meant the USA’s top scorer was supposed to sit out this one, but his ban was controversially lifted days before kick-off, meaning he will lead the American attack after all.
His return has become one of the biggest talking points of the tournament going into Monday’s game.
History Favors Belgium
The two nations have faced each other on eight previous occasions, with Belgium winning the only other World Cup encounter between them, a 2-1 extra-time victory in the Round of 16 in 2014.
Belgium also defeated the side earlier this year, winning 5-2 in a friendly in Atlanta in March.
Key Matchup to Watch Out For
Much of the tactical battle will be fought in midfield as Kevin De Bruyne will look to create space for Belgium’s attackers, while Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie will try to disrupt Belgium’s rhythm and spring Christian Pulisic on the counter.
The winner will move on to the quarterfinals and the match is scheduled to kick off at 5:00 p.m. PT (8:00 p.m. ET) on Monday, July 6 at Lumen Field in Seattle.
