Round of 16 · Seattle
USA
BelgiumMonday, July 6, 8:00 PM EDT · 📺 FOX / FOX One
Twelve years after Tim Howard's 15 saves couldn't save them, the USA finally gets its Belgium rematch — at home, and favored.
The winner reaches the quarterfinals, somewhere the USA hasn't been since 2002. Do it now, in Seattle, and it's the biggest USMNT win in a generation.
The USA. You live here. That's the whole pitch.
01Sound smart about this
- The Balogun hole: the USA's hottest striker scored vs Bosnia, then got a VAR red card for stepping on an ankle — and there's no appeal. Pochettino must pick Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright, or get creative with Pulisic.
- Belgium are the tournament's zombies: dead at 2-0 down to Senegal in the 86th, alive via Lukaku and Tielemans, then a 125th-minute penalty winner — the latest goal in men's World Cup history. Iconic, but those legs ran 120-plus minutes.
- Belgium beat this same USA team 5-2 in a friendly just three months ago. Rudi Garcia's side knows it can hurt them — but bookmakers have the USA as slight favorites anyway.
02Players to actually watchtap a line to copy
Recovered from a calf scare and back to being the USA's engine — he set up Balogun in the 4-1 Paraguay rout.
Say this“Fun fact: Pulisic now has more career World Cup assists than Cristiano Ronaldo — three to two.”
Scored the goal that killed off Bosnia while the USA was down to ten men.
Say this“Tillman iced the Bosnia game a man down — with Balogun banned, the goals probably run through him tonight.”
Man City's speedster is Belgium's scariest one-v-one threat if he gets any space.
Say this“Watch whichever American fullback draws Doku — in open space, he's gone.”
Scored twice vs Senegal, including the 125th-minute penalty — the latest goal ever in a men's World Cup match.
Say this“Tielemans literally scored the latest goal in World Cup history on Wednesday — never celebrate against Belgium early.”
03Ask thistap to copy
Belgium played 120-plus minutes on Wednesday — keep an eye on their legs after the hour mark.
So who replaces Balogun up top — Pepi, Haji Wright, or Pulisic as a false nine?
Rudi Garcia subbed off both De Bruyne AND Doku before Belgium's comeback vs Senegal — genius or just lucky?
This is basically a home game: the USA already beat Australia 2-0 in this exact Seattle stadium last month.
Matt Freese has two clean sheets this tournament — remember when goalkeeper was supposed to be the USA's weak spot?
04Opinions you can safely have
- The Balogun red card was harsh — a VAR sending-off for an accidental ankle step, with no appeal allowed, feels brutal.
- This is almost certainly Kevin De Bruyne's last World Cup, so Belgium will be desperate.
- Win or lose, beating Bosnia for a first knockout win since 2002 already made this a successful tournament for the USA.
05Jargon of the match
A player who comes off the bench late and changes the game — exactly what Romelu Lukaku is now: barely fit after an injury-ruined season, he rose from the bench to spark Belgium's comeback vs Senegal, and he'll loom over the last 30 minutes tonight.
06The call
USA 2-1 in regulation — Belgium's 125-minute legs give out around the 70th, and Seattle loses its mind.
Facts checked: 2026-07-03. Lineups drop ~1 hour before kickoff.