The USA's only victory against Belgium occurred in the group stage of the first World Cup in 1930, with a 3-0 scoreline. Since then, they have lost six consecutive matches to Belgium, including a 1-2 defeat in the round of 16 of the 2014 World Cup. At Arena Fonte Nova in Brazil, the two teams drew 0-0 after 90 minutes before Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku scored in extra time, with Julian Green netting the lone goal for the USA.

None of the players from the USA squad 12 years ago remain on the current team. In contrast, Belgium still features goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, midfielders De Bruyne and Axel Witsel, and striker Lukaku.

In the round of 32, the co-hosts defeated Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0. This marked the USA's second knockout stage victory since 2002, when they beat Mexico 2-0 in the round of 16. A win against Belgium today would see them reach the quarterfinals for the second time in their history. Should they lose, they would follow the other co-hosts out of the tournament, after Canada lost to Morocco 0-3 and Mexico fell to England 2-3, both in the current knockout stages.

This will be the USA's seventh match in the round of 16, having suffered five defeats in previous appearances at this stage. Belgium, conversely, reached the quarterfinals in 2014, and the semifinals in 1986 and 2018, finishing fourth and winning a bronze medal respectively.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino's squad has demonstrated formidable strength at the 2026 World Cup, scoring at least two goals per match. This makes them the first team outside of Europe or South America to achieve this feat in four consecutive matches. Meanwhile, Belgium staged a comeback to win against Senegal 3-2. They became the first team in the tournament to advance after being down 0-2, and it was their second time achieving this, having previously done so in their 3-2 victory over Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 World Cup.

Hieu Luong