The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is here. Forty-eight teams entered, and only 16 remain in a single-elimination tournament to claim world football’s most prestigious prize.
Here is everything you need to know about the United States vs. Belgium in the Round of 16.
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 5 p.m. PT at Seattle Stadium on Monday, July 6.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will air on FOX and can be streamed on FOX One.
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ABOUT USA:
- FIFA ranking: 17
- Manager: Mauricio Pochettino
- Nicknames: The Stars and Stripes, The Yanks
- How they qualified: Co-hosts with Canada and Mexico
- World Cup appearances: 12
- Overall World Cup record (W-L-T): 12-21-8
- Best-ever finish: Semifinals (1930)
- 2022 World Cup result: Round of 16
- How they got here:
- Group stage results (Group D winner):
- Matchday 1: Defeated Paraguay 4-1
- Matchday 2: Defeated Australia 2-0
- Matchday 3: Lost to Türkiye 3-2
- Round of 32: Defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0
- Group stage results (Group D winner):
- Players to know:
- Christian Pulisic, F: The heartbeat in attack for the U.S., Pulisic is still searching for his first goal at this World Cup. The AC Milan winger missed Matchday 2 with a calf injury, but he returned to the starting lineup in the Round of 16 win over Bosnia. The U.S. will need him to be lively in the final third if they hope to advance.
- Chris Richards, D: The Crystal Palace defender has hardly put a foot wrong all tournament, helping the U.S. keep two clean sheets in Pochettino’s three-center back formation with Tim Ream and Alex Freeman. The 26-year-old Alabama native was the 2025 USMNT Player of the Year and helped lead Palace to the UEFA Conference League title this past season, the club’s first European trophy in its history. Richards will need to be excellent yet again to shut down a potent Belgium attack led by imposing center forward Romelu Lukaku.
- Ricardo Pepi, F: With starting forward Folarin Balogun suspended for Monday’s match following his red card against Bosnia, Pepi will get his chance to shine. The former FC Dallas Homegrown product was the Eredivisie’s third-highest goal scorer last year, bagging 16 goals en route to PSV running away with the Dutch title. Balogun is the U.S.’ leading scorer with three goals so far in this tournament, so the Stars and Stripes will likely need Pepi to find the score sheet in order to advance.
Eastside Rivalry Pass
Join the rivalry on July 16 and catch the Sounders vs Portland. The Eastside Rivalry Pass is the best way to travel from Redmond to attend the match. Each bundle includes a ticket and free transit the match. To make your trip easier, we’ve partnered with King County Metro and Experience Redmond to offer you free fare on Metro buses, Link light rail, or other transit services (while supplies last).
ABOUT BELGIUM:
- FIFA ranking: 9
- Manager: Rudi Garcia
- Nickname: The Red Devils
- How they qualified: Belgium secured one of Europe’s automatic berths by winning their UEFA qualifying group
- World Cup appearances: 15
- Overall World Cup record (W-L-T): 23-20-12
- Best-ever finish: Third (2018)
- 2022 World Cup result: Did not advance out of group stage
- How they got here:
- Group stage results (Group G winner):
- Matchday 1: Drew Egypt 1-1
- Matchday 2: Drew IR Iran 0-0
- Matchday 3: Defeated New Zealand 5-1
- Round of 32: Defeated Senegal 3-2 after extra time
- Group stage results (Group G winner):
- Players to know:
- Romelu Lukaku, F: The 33-year-old is the most decorated forward in Belgium history with 92 goals. Now relegated to a super sub, Lukaku has scored twice in his last two matches, including starting the late comeback against Senegal in the Round of 32. The hulking center forward has amassed the second-highest career transfer fees of all-time behind only Neymar and will be the main priority for Richards, Ream, and Freeman.
- Kevin De Bruyne, M: One of the best players of his generation, the 34-year-old playmaker has earned 123 caps for his country. The former longtime Manchester City man now plies his trade for Napoli in Italy’s Serie A and is still one of the game’s most inventive players on his day. How well he can control the midfield vs. the likes of Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie will go a long way in whether the U.S. or Belgium reach the quarterfinals.
- Youri Tielemans, M: The Belgian captain came up huge in the win over Senegal, leveling the match in the 89th minute before stepping up and burying the winning penalty in the fifth minute of the second period of extra time. The 29-year-old Aston Villa midfielder now has 15 goals in 89 caps for the Red Devils.
