FIFA World Cup 2026 co-hosts, the United States of America faces 2018 Bronze medallists Belgium in the Round of 16 of the on-going 2026 edition at Seattle Stadium. This do-or-die knockout match takes place on Tuesday, July 7 from 5:30PM (IST) onwards with the winner heading straight to the quarter-finals.
A total of 4 nations have already secured qualification to the quarter-finals with the last edition’s semi-finalists France and Morocco locking horns in a replay of the 2022 semi-final on Friday, July 10 and Harry Kane’s England taking on the Erling Haaland-led Norwegian side on Sunday, July 12.
USA’s path to the Round of 16
The United States enjoyed a strong run to reach this stage of the tournament. Playing on home soil, Mauricio Pochettino’s side kicked off their campaign in Group D. They secured vital victories over Paraguay and Australia before suffering a narrow defeat against Turkey.
Despite that single slip, the Americans topped Group D with 6 points. In the Round of 32, they faced a tough challenge against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The USA put on a disciplined performance to claim a solid 2-0 victory, booking their spot in the round of 16 with plenty of home crowd momentum.
How Belgium reached the Round of 16
Belgium advanced to the knockout stage after finishing as the winners of Group G. Their group stage campaign was a mixed bag, featuring draws against Egypt and Iran alongside a convincing 5-1 victory over New Zealand to finish with five points. Their round of 32 clash against Senegal provided one of the most dramatic comebacks of the tournament.
The Red Devils were trailing 2-0 late in the match before scoring twice in the final minutes to force extra time. A late penalty from captain Youri Tielemans sealed a thrilling 3-2 victory.
The team that wins this clash between the USA and Belgium will move on to the quarterfinals. They will face the winner of the other Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain, which is scheduled on the other side of this tournament bracket.
Here are the official 26-man squads for both the USA and Belgium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
USA Vs Belgium, FIFA World Cup 2026 RO16: Squads
USA: Matt Turner, Matt Freese, Chris Brady, Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty, Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Weston McKennie, Cristian Roldan, Malik Tillman, Brenden Aaronson, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Timothy Weah, Haji Wright, Alejandro Zendejas.
Belgium: Thibaut Courtois, Senne Lammens, Mike Penders, Timothy Castagne, Zeno Debast, Maxim De Cuyper, Koni De Winter, Brandon Mechele, Thomas Meunier, Nathan Ngoy, Joaquin Seys, Arthur Theate, Kevin De Bruyne, Amadou Onana, Nicolas Raskin, Youri Tielemans, Hans Vanaken, Axel Witsel, Charles De Ketelaere, Jérémy Doku, Matías Fernández-Pardo, Romelu Lukaku, Dodi Lukebakio, Diego Moreira, Alexis Saelemaekers and Leandro Trossard.
How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India?
Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across Zee5 app and website. Live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will also be available on the Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.
