PREVIEW: USA prepare to take on Belgium in last 16 encounter | OneFootball

After topping Group D, and defeating Bosnia in the round of 32, the USA take on the world number nine Belgium, in what is set to be an exciting clash in the Round of 16.

Heading into the tournament as hosts and with a new manager, Mauricio Pochettino, the USA held their hopes high with the squad filled with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie looking to take America deep into the final stages of the tournament.

Pochettino’s side kicked off their home World Cup in Los Angeles against Paraguay. However, Paraguay proved no match for a relentless USA team as they ran out 4-1 winners led by a Balogun brace.

Their second game of the tournament presented the opportunity to secure their place in the knockout stages if they could defeat Australia. With thanks to Alex Freeman and an own goal from Australia defender Cameron Burgess, the USA cemented their spot in the round of 32 with a 2-0 victory over the ‘Aussies’.

To conclude the group stage, the ‘stars and stripes’ met with Türkiye, who were fighting to remain in the competition, and to the despair of the host nation, Kaan Ayhan’s 98th-minute goal resulted in a narrow 3-2 defeat. Despite the last-gasp defeat, the USA still topped the group and were rewarded with a round of 32 tie against Bosnia & Herzegovina.

From stunning finishes to red cards, the round of 32 clash between the USA and Bosnia had it all. It was an excellent performance from start to finish from the hosts in San Francisco. Despite being reduced to 10 men after Folarin Balogun’s sending-off, Pochettino’s well-drilled American side progressed to the next round with a 2-0 win, aided by a first-half strike from Balogun and an incredible free kick from Malik Tillman, with Belgium awaiting in the round of 16.

Whilst top goalscorer, Folarin Balogun, was sent off in the previous round, a controversial overruling of his suspension means that the former Arsenal striker will be available for the clash against Belgium in Seattle. The availability of their star man means that there is only one injury doubt in their squad, as midfielder Cristian Roldan is expected to miss out due to a muscle injury.

Meanwhile, Belgium enter the fixture with no suspensions or injury concerns, leaving Rudi Garcia with full rein to tweak and adjust his squad however he prefers with the task of defeating the host nation.

‘The Red Devils’ find themselves with the opportunity to progress to the quarter-finals in spite of a sub-par opening two games. Managed by Rudi Garcia, Belgium began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a tight encounter with Egypt, in which they found themselves a goal down at the break, but fortunately for the Belgians, Mohamed Hany inadvertently put the ball in the back of his own net, securing a single point for Belgium after matchday one.

Their second game of the group stage took Belgium to Los Angeles to take on Iran. Despite heavily dominating the game with 23 shots, they just couldn’t find the back of the net. A second-half red card for Nathan Ngoy meant that ‘The Red Devils’ had to settle for a goalless draw.

Heading into the final group stage matchday, the pressure was mounting to claim a victory in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the disappointment that occurred in Qatar just 4 years ago. Captained by Youri Tielemans, Belgium rose to the occasion and thrashed Australia 5-1 with the goals coming from De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Saelemaekers and a brace from Leandro Trossard. The dominant performance and result was enough not only to secure their place in the knockout stage, but also enough to top Group G on goal difference.

Belgium met with Senegal in the round of 32 in Seattle, and after 85 minutes, it appeared that Belgium were destined to be heading home as they found themselves 2 goals down and with a massive mountain to climb if they were to have any chance of extending their stay in America. However, a dramatic final five minutes in regular time saw both Lukaku and Tielemans find the back of the net, unexpectedly taking the tie to extra time.

A dramatic extra time gave skipper Tielemans the opportunity to complete one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history, as a lengthy VAR review meant that Belgium were awarded a penalty. Tielemans held his nerve and converted from the spot to secure the victory in the 125th minute, taking ‘The Red Devils’ to the round of 16.

The most recent clash between the USA and Belgium came during the March international break in a friendly at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Belgians secured an emphatic 5-2 victory on the day as they ran riot in the second half. However, the last competitive encounter between the two countries came at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil in the round of 16 stage. The game was taken to extra time after a 0-0 draw in normal time, but goals from Lukaku and De Bruyne in the first half of extra time were enough to claim a 2-1 win over the ‘Stars and Stripes’.

Throughout history, they have locked horns with each other on five occasions, with Belgium claiming four victories whilst the USA earned their only win over Belgium in a 3-0 win at the 1930 World Cup.

Both sides will fancy their chances of progressing into the quarter-finals, with the USA hoping that the home advantage will be enough to drive their players to a famous victory for America.

The winner of the tie will face the winner of the round of 16 clash between Portugal and Spain, and the quarter-final matchup will take place at the Los Angeles Stadium on Friday, 10th July.

The game is scheduled for Tuesday, July 7th at 1:00 AM (BST), and will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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