Co-hosts USA will take on Belgium in their 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 knockout clash early Monday morning in Seattle for a place in the quarterfinals.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have scored at least two goals in every World Cup match they have played so far, and are confident they can book a place in the quarters for the first time since 2002.
Following two wins and a defeat to Turkey in the group stages, USA beat Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0 in the round of 32 as they seek to maintain their historic run in the tournament. They have been eliminated in the round of 16 in the last three editions they have featured in.
They face a Belgium side who are still yet to taste defeat in the competition. After two opening draws, the Red Devils hammered New Zealand 5-1 in their final group game.
Belgium were pushed to the wire in their round of 32 clash as they had to wait for a 120th minute Youri Tielemans penalty to edge Senegal 3-2 to set up this clash. They are eager to better their performance in Qatar 2022, where they failed to make it past the group stage.
Their best-ever finish was in the 2018 edition, finishing in third place and they continue their quest for a first World Cup title.
Both teams have conceded just four goals in the tournament and with qualification at stake, we can expect to see both defenses at their best once more. At the end of the 90, this could potentially be the key factor in deciding the winner here.
Will the co-hosts continue their impressive run in the tournament and book a place in the quarters, or will the Belgians knock them out to progress into the last eight for a fourth time in their history?
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Here is our predicted outcome for the match.
What time does USA vs Belgium start?
The match kicks off at 3AM E.A.T at the Lumen Field
USA vs Belgium team news
The biggest stumbling block for the Americans is the absence of top scorer Folarin Balogun, who was sent off in the victory against Bosnia. The striker has scored three goals in the tournament so far.
In his absence, Pochettino is expected to make at least a couple of changes to his starting lineup, with PSV forward Ricardo Pepi potentially being handed his second start of the tournament.
Cristian Pulisic will continue to captain his side, with Sergino Dest and Malik Tillman retaining their spots in the starting XI as well.
There are no other changes expected from the hosts.
As for Belgium, record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku has come off the bench to score in two consecutive matches and this could finally give him the nod to start up front. This will see Atalanta’s Charles de Ketaleare relegated to the bench.
The trio of Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku and Leandro Trossard will continue to inspire the Belgian attacking threat with no other changes expected from the XI that started in the round of 32 win against Senegal.
USA vs Belgium head-to-head and current form
USA have only lost twice in their last five matches – a 3-2 loss to Turkey in the group stage and friendly defeat to Germany. They have won the remaining three games, scoring 11 times in the process.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils are unbeaten in their last five outings – winning three and drawing the remaining two games. Belgium are unbeaten in over a year, last losing to Ukraine in March 2025.
These sides played in a friendly earlier this year with Belgium running riot in a 5-2 triumph and have beaten USA in all of the last six matches played against them. The latter’s only ever win was in the 1930 World Cup.
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Current form:
USA – WLWWL
Belgium – WWDDW
USA vs Belgium previous games
- USA 2-5 Belgium (March 28, 2026)
- Belgium 2-1 USA (July 1, 2014)
- USA 2-4 Belgium (May 30, 2013)
- Belgium 1-0 USA (September 6, 2011)
- Belgium 2-0 USA (February 25, 1998)
USA vs Belgium prediction
Both sides have shown that they can be resolute defensively, however they need to be able to maintain their scoring run if they are to better their opponents here.
Even without their top scorer, with home support the Americans cannot be overlooked and will definitely hit the ground running from the start. This game has the potential to go past the 90, though we can expect goals from either side.
Prediction – Both teams to score – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!