USA vs Belgium | FIFA World Cup 2026 — Round of 16 | Preview and Prediction

The USA will face Belgium in the backdrop of rather testy and controversial circumstances, as the USMNT look to make the quarter-finals on home soil in what is turning out to be a coming-of-age competition for this iteration of the Stars and Stripes.

As for Belgium, they will hope that they have enough in their legs after a gruelling game against Senegal to withstand and possibly overcome a comparatively younger US outfit.

For the game, here we present our preview and prediction.

FIFA WC26 | Ro16: USA vs BEL | 05:30 IST, 7 July 2026

The US are once again in the limelight and at the centre of attention, though this time not for their football, which has been very good, but more on that in a bit.

Ever since the news yesterday announced that the suspension for their leading striker Folarin Balogun, who was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, had been revoked on the alleged insistence of the White House, a wave of surprise and shock has been felt across the footballing world over how easily FIFA regulations can be surpassed and tampered with through political interference.

However, that does not take away the fact that the USMNT have delivered good value for their spot in the tournament. They have been playing some of their best football and currently stand on the precipice of doing something very special in their history.

A win here against Belgium will take them to the quarter-finals and represent a massive, massive turn of fortunes, given they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. And now, with Balogun back in the fold, they seem prepared to take the positive news as well as the controversy surrounding it in their stride and try to make history.

As for Belgium, it’s safe to say that they have been miffed with the decision and have made their displeasure clear about the state of affairs, having stated that they will launch an appeal about the same in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

However, this Belgium side is not the same force it once used to be and has shown as much throughout the tournament, yet the players’ resilience and determination have brought them this far.

At 2–0 down against Senegal, De Rode Duivels looked dead and buried, but Romelu Lukaku kick-started their comeback and Youri Tielemans led from the middle of the park as they sneaked through with a penalty with virtually the last kick of the game.

Belgium have a lot of flaws, but in knockout football they have had an element of luck about them in recent years. It seems like they have that in abundance once again, having failed to make it past the group stage of the previous World Cup.

That said, we believe that the USA will start this game as favourites for the win. With the home crowd egging them on, their main striker back, and a Belgium side that is there for the taking, they should win the match and qualify for the quarters with relative comfort.

Score Prediction: United States of America 2–0 Belgium
Venue: Seattle Stadium, Seattle, Washington, USA