The United States Men’s National Team continues to advance at the 2026 World Cup, having taken down Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 by a 2-0 margin. The tournament field continues to narrow, and the opponents grow more daunting, with Belgium hoping to spoil the co-hosts’ party and advance to the quarterfinal. The European program is looking to improve on a third-place finish in 2018, which would be quite the welcome surprise well after a golden generation. Seattle, Washington’s Lumen Field – a 72,000-seat multi-purpose stadium with a temporary stitched natural grass surface – hosts the fixture.
This is the eighth all-time meeting between the two nations, with the USMNT carrying a 1-6-0 record and falling in the most recent match, a friendly defeat (2-5) in March. Ranked 10thinternationally by FIFA, Belgium reached the World Cup by finishing atop UEFA’s Group J of qualifying with a 5-0-3 record, besting Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein. At the current competition, the Red Devils claimed Group G with draws against Egypt (1-1) and Iran (0-0) and a victory over New Zealand (5-1) before requiring extra time and a fortuitous penalty to top Senegal (3-2) in the Round of 32.
Rudi Garcia was appointed to lead the program in January 2025, his first international gig after leading a variety of club sides including Lille, Roma, Marseille, Lyon, Al Nassr, and Napoli. The 62-year-old Frenchman believes that his squad is “very driven” and “aiming high” with the capacity to “achieve great things.” He has praised the “oldies” in his group, defending them against treatment as “has-beens.”
Garcia named a 26-player roster for the World Cup. The Belgian Pro League is home to three of the call-ups, while seven talents are on the books of Premier League clubs, five compete in Ligue 1, and five can be found in Serie A. Notable absences include Michy Batshuayi, Loïs Openda, Matz Sels, and Malick Fofana.
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GOALKEEPERS (3): Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Strasbourg)
DEFENDERS (9): Zeno Debast (Sporting CP), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton & Hove Albion), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Koni De Winter (Milan), Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge), Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Nathan Ngoy (Lille)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Axel Witsel (Girona), Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Diego Moreira (Strasbourg), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa)
FORWARDS (7): Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal), Jérémy Doku (Manchester City), Dodi Lukébakio (Benfica), Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Alexis Saelemaekers (Milan), Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Lille)
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Garcia has utilized a few different formations but appears to be sticking to the 4-2-3-1/5-4-1 at the World Cup, with a traditional midfielder dropped into the back line when defending. The squad engages in a total press that “forces opposition to one side” and uses the touchline as an extra defender, “limiting ball progression between the lines” and “forcing opponents into long diagonals that can be easily cut out.” Belgium has a “traditional emphasis on possession-based football,” endeavoring to “move the ball quickly and push defenders into higher attacking positions.”
At first glance, Thibaut Courtois is hard to miss at six feet, seven inches tall, but further observation reveals a world-class talent who has maintained his status for a decade. The 34-year-old Real Madrid goalkeeper had a long absence from the national team due to “a dispute” with the previous manager yet has returned to provide something that nobody else can. He has a seemingly implausible reach with the ability to pull off impossible saves, utilizing his phenomenal wingspan, perceptive footwork, and quickness when coming off his line. There are frequent ventures to come out of the box and act as a sweeper, and his passing accuracy numbers are some of the best in La Liga, although most of his distribution is at a short range.
Brandon Mechele is a clearance machine, takes a highly active role during the build-up phase, and can dominate in the air, registering his fair share of finishes off set pieces. The 33-year-old Club Brugge centre-back will often sacrifice his body for the heroic shot block and has managed to stick around despite claims of having “good feet” but lacking “pure reflexes of real defending.” From making his debut in March to starting at the World Cup, Lille’s Nathan Ngoy has experienced a meteoric rise due to his eye-catching athleticism and piercing distribution, which goes over and through multiple lines. He has the quickness to beat opponents to the ball by several seconds, readily glides into slide tackles, and has the confidence to carry deep into the attacking third. Arthur Theate of Eintracht Frankfurt adds versatility by being able to deploy on the inside and the outside and demonstrates “a lot of character” by “liking challenges” and being “good in terms of his aggression and intensity.” His first instinct is to turn up the field with dynamic vertical passing as well as excelling when shutting down forwards in the one-on-one, remaining standing in order to recover.
Maxim De Cuyper is expected to be a centerpiece of the “new era” for Belgium, having worked to become a more effective defender instead of merely relying on his accurate delivery with both feet. The 25-year-old Brighton fullback is perhaps at his best when jockeying against a winger in transition and timing his tackle or providing just the right amount of contact to unsettle and force a turnover. Lille’s Thomas Meunier can still make an impact on the scoresheet with aggressive runs into the final third, hitting a delicate curling cross or finding himself in the opportune place to slot home a shot. At six feet, three inches tall, he is “quick off the mark and looks to engage in duels against his man” with a “strong reading of the game in front of him” and the ability to “switch off” in coverage. Timothy Castagne of Fulham is always off to the races and combines well with teammates, utilizing quick combinations in the corner zones to break down blocks. The Arlon native can also do the arduous progressive work and will charge into challenges with little hesitation, but his efforts as an extra, overlapping winger are the biggest asset.
Amadou Onana plays a crucial role in the tactics as the drop-back player who switches from a six to serving as an additional centre-back, using his six-foot-five height to dominate in the air and control his area. The Senegal-born talent is quick to go to ground for a sliding challenge and can start the counter or rapidly work his way out of pressure with an agile turn away from the opponent. Youri Tielemans is “razor-sharp” on the field, earning praise for “identifying passes quicker than anyone else, regulating possession, and never losing poise” while also “delivering from the wide areas.” The 29-year-old Aston Villa midfielder is one of the squad’s creative forces and will also make darting runs into the box in order to pounce on loose opportunities or climb for headers. Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne ended his first season in Serie A with an underwhelming five goals and four assists in 21 total appearances, missing several months due to injury issues. Nonetheless, he remains one of the world’s best at threading the needle and can craft assists from seemingly anywhere on the field, displaying sublime vision requiring a mere touch to achieve. Hans Vanaken of Club Brugge is a hulking 10 who can score in virtually every conceivable way, perhaps most dangerous when getting the time to line up his howitzer of a right foot from just outside of the box. The Pelt native also has a wide range for his distribution, is “defensively astute” with massive ground coverage, and can claim virtually every header in his immediate reach. Nicolas Raskin has a history as a deep-lying playmaker who will stick to the center but “ends up in both flanks to support teammates” and will be the “second guy to support.” The Liégeois will take as much time as necessary to find the right angle and often assess his options before going long or hitting a driven switch.
Jérémy Doku missed the Iran match with a “respiratory illness” but returned for the New Zealand match and will need to increase his production if Belgium is to advance deep into the tournament. The 24-year-old Manchester City winger boasts supreme ball control and manipulation with an “explosive five-yard burst” and the “upper-body strength to hold off players when receiving with his back to goal.” Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard starred in the crucial 5-1 victory over New Zealand with two goals and an assist, but his impact also includes playing the ball into the final third and opening space for teammates. He utilizes his intelligent movement to receive and has a habit of hanging around the back post before darting in for the kill before the defender has reacted. Alexis Saelemaekers of AC Milan drops all the way back in the formation to provide an outlet during the build-up and works hard to regain possession before slaloming up the field. In the advanced zones, his evasiveness and ability to fight through blocks with a few cutbacks grant him the opening for a quick slip to the striker or a placed shot into the lower corner.
The versatile Charles De Ketelaere is whatever a manager needs him to be, and right now the call is for him to lead the formation, using his size to be “a huge threat from set pieces and crosses.” He can also drop off and play the distributor with a wide range of passing or find teammates for a quick layoff after a darting dribbling run through multiple opponents. For a more physical option, there is the reliable Romelu Lukaku, who is a master of finding space in the box and still has the pace to get a few steps past opposing defenders. The 33-year-old Napoli striker can hold off centre-backs and shrug off attempted shoulder tackles, with the gravitational pull and impact to create havoc even when unable to score.
At one time, the knockout path appeared significantly lighter, but fate has determined that the USMNT will need to face a gauntlet of strong opponents. However, this is the World Cup, and the journey was never going to be easy. Belgium has the quality to walk away with a victory, with the co-hosts requiring a strong effort and some magic from Mauricio Pochettino.
The match is scheduled for Monday, July 6th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 p.m. Pacific. Viewing options include FOX, Telemundo, Peacock, and FuboTV (free trial).
