World Cup 2026 pages
Sports · World Cup 2026 · Round of 16
USAvs
Belgium
1–4
Full time · Monday, July 6, 2026 · 8:00 p.m. ET · Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field), Seattle, WA
Result
Belgium ended the USA's home World Cup with a 4-1 win in the last 16, resting Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku and watching Charles De Ketelaere score twice instead. De Ketelaere struck in the 9th minute and headed a second on 33; Malik Tillman's free kick had briefly made it 1-1 on 31. A Matt Freese error let Hans Vanaken restore the two-goal lead on 57, and Lukaku, on as a substitute, curled in a fourth in stoppage time. The USA had more of the ball (56%) but managed only two shots on target. Belgium stretch their winning run over the USA to seven and face Spain in Los Angeles on July 10. Belgium advance to the quarter-finals.
USA 4-3-34-2-3-1 BelgiumUSASubstitutions
At this Stage
So much for the coin-flip. Belgium turned the bracket's true toss-up into a rout — and did it resting Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku from the start. Charles De Ketelaere, handed the striker's role, struck twice inside 33 minutes, the second a header, and though Malik Tillman's free kick briefly levelled it at 1-1, a Matt Freese error outside his box let Hans Vanaken make it 3-1 and Lukaku added a fourth off the bench. Belgium stretch their unbeaten run against the USA to seven and move to Los Angeles on July 10 for a quarter-final with Spain. The USA's home World Cup ends in the round of 16, a first quarter-final since 2002 still out of reach — and the loudest pre-match story, Folarin Balogun's controversially lifted round-of-32 red-card ban, gave way to a chastening night in Seattle.
Round of 32
Round of 16
Quarter-final
What we know now
Venue: Seattle Stadium
Attendance: 66,925
Watch: FOX in English (free over the air, or stream on Fox One) and Telemundo in Spanish (stream on Peacock); the free Tubi simulcast carried Telemundo's Spanish feed.
Watched by: 30M in the US
What I said beforehand
The preview, frozen at kickoff. Clearly dated, never rewritten — that's the deal that makes the predictions worth anything.
This is about as close to a coin-flip as the round offers, and the home crowd makes it closer, but Belgium have the finishers. Rudi Garcia can call on De Bruyne's passing, Lukaku's hold-up play, and the pace of Doku and Trossard, and their comeback against Senegal showed a team that keeps scoring even when the game goes wrong. The USA press well and will have Lumen Field roaring, but the suspension of Balogun blunts their attack, leaving Ricardo Pepi or Haji Wright to lead the line against Courtois. Mauricio Pochettino's organisation should keep it tight, yet Belgium's extra quality should tell. 2-1 Belgium, though extra time would not surprise.
My locked pick: Belgium advance ✓ RIGHT
“Belgium to advance in what looks a coin-flip. Rudi Garcia's side carry the deeper squad — De Bruyne, Lukaku, Doku and Trossard — and the momentum of a comeback from two down to beat Senegal 3-2 after extra time. The USA have home advantage and Pochettino's organisation but are without the suspended Folarin Balogun up front, and Belgium have won six straight in the fixture, including the 2014 last-16 tie. Belgium to edge it, though the Seattle crowd could force extra time.”
Locked 2026-07-05 04:25 UTC — rendered verbatim from the pick ledger; never a fresher, hedged version
The case for USA
36% to winThe USA have the crowd, the legs and a manager in Mauricio Pochettino who has them organised and aggressive. Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie can make the midfield a physical contest, Christian Pulisic is a game-breaker on the ball, and Lumen Field will be as loud as any venue Belgium have faced. Even without Balogun, if the hosts turn this into a high-tempo scrap and land an early blow, Belgium's ageing spine can be got at.
The case for Belgium
38% to winBelgium simply hold more match-winners. Kevin De Bruyne remains the most dangerous passer left in the tournament, Romelu Lukaku is a proven knockout finisher, and Doku and Trossard give Garcia game-changing pace off either flank. They have won six in a row against the USA and just proved their nerve by overturning a two-goal deficit against Senegal. Weather the crowd early and their quality should decide it.
Both cases written 2026-07-05, before kickoff — they freeze into the record exactly as written, however the match goes. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — the unclaimed 26% belongs to the draw.
Storylines
- Charles De Ketelaere, given the striker's role with Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku both benched, scored twice — a 9th-minute opener and a 33rd-minute header — as Rudi Garcia's heavy rotation paid off handsomely.
- Malik Tillman's 31st-minute free kick briefly levelled it at 1-1, but Belgium restored the lead within two minutes and pulled clear after the break; a Matt Freese error outside his area teed up Hans Vanaken's 57th-minute goal.
- Belgium stretched their unbeaten record against the USA to seven straight, twelve years on from the 2014 last-16 tie the fixture evoked; they go to Los Angeles on July 10 to meet Spain.
- The USA's home World Cup ended in the round of 16, short of a first quarter-final since 2002; Folarin Balogun started after FIFA suspended the round-of-32 red-card ban that would have ruled him out — a reversal UEFA and the Belgian federation publicly criticised.
The coaches
Mauricio Pochettino USA
The Argentine took the USA job in 2024 and has them pressing high and organised; on home soil he is chasing the country's deepest World Cup run in a generation.
Rudi Garcia Belgium
The Frenchman's Belgium blend an experienced spine — Courtois, De Bruyne, Lukaku — with the pace of Doku and Trossard, and have just shown they can win from two down.
Availability
| Folarin Balogun | Started — FIFA suspended the one-match ban from his round-of-32 red card, clearing him to feature; the reversal was criticised by UEFA and the Belgian federation. Withdrawn in stoppage time | NBC News / CBS News / Al Jazeera / CBC |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Named on the bench and did not feature — Rudi Garcia rested him from the start and did not use him | ESPN team sheet / match data |
| Romelu Lukaku | Started on the bench; came on for De Ketelaere on 67 minutes and curled in the fourth goal in stoppage time | ESPN team sheet / match data |
Availability drifts hourly in tournament week — every row carries its source and date for exactly that reason.
Weather: A mild, dry early-July evening at the open-air Lumen Field — comfortable temperatures in the 60s°F for a knockout night in Seattle. (Seasonal outlook (NWS Seattle), as of 2026-07-06)
Referee: Adham Mohammad. (ESPN match data (Match Officials) for USA 1-4 Belgium, gameId 760507; 6 Jul 2026., as of 2026-07-06)
Venue: Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field), Seattle, WA, United States — FIFA strips sponsor names for the tournament; the everyday name is in parentheses.