United States vs Belgium Preview

Tuesday’s early hours fixture at Lumen Field pits the host nation against one of Europe’s most experienced international sides in a Round of 16 clash that carries enormous significance for American football. The United States have the crowd, the occasion, and the momentum of a home tournament behind them — but Belgium arrive with a formidable recent head-to-head record and the individual quality to pose problems across every area of the pitch.

The USA topped Group D with six points, winning two of their three group fixtures before a hard-fought 2-0 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Round of 32 secured their place in the last sixteen. Their most recent outing was that composed home victory, a controlled performance that demonstrated their defensive organisation and ability to hit on the counter through Pulisic and Balogun. Prior to that, a 3-2 defeat away to Turkey in the group stage was their only dropped points in competitive play — a result that exposed their vulnerability when pressed high. Before that, a 2-0 home win over Australia and a 4-1 home win over Paraguay in the group were impressive displays of attacking intent. Earlier in this run, a 2-1 home loss to Germany in a pre-tournament friendly was a useful warning about the level required at this stage. Adams and McKennie provide the engine in central midfield, and with Pulisic operating as the creative fulcrum, the USA have clear threats going forward.

Belgium topped Group G with five points, claiming their knockout stage berth with a dramatic 3-2 win over Senegal after extra time in the Round of 32. Their most recent outing was that energy-sapping victory — a tie that went to the wire and will have tested their squad depth. Prior to that, they had thrashed New Zealand 5-0 away in their final group match, a result that signalled their attacking capabilities when given space. Before that, a goalless draw at home to Iran and a 1-1 home draw with Egypt in the group stage suggested occasional inconsistency in breaking down organised defences. Earlier in this run, a 5-0 home win over Tunisia in pre-tournament action demonstrated their quality on a good day. De Bruyne remains the focal point of everything Belgium do going forward, with Doku’s pace on the wing and Trossard providing quality in the attacking third. Courtois behind them is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

The head-to-head record strongly favours Belgium, who have won all five of the recorded meetings between these sides. Most recently, Belgium beat the USA 5-2 away in a friendly in March 2026. In the previous encounter, Belgium beat the USA 2-1 after extra time at home in a World Cup knockout fixture in July 2014.

In the United States, the match is live on FOX Network and fuboTV. In the UK, viewers can watch on BBC One and stream via BBC iPlayer. In Belgium, the game is available on La Une, VRT 1, and Sporza.

Possible Lineups

USA (4-1-4-1) Freese, Freeman, Richards, Ream, Dest, Adams, McKennie, Tillman, Robinson, Pulisic, Zendejas

Belgium (4-2-3-1) Courtois, De Cuyper, Tielemans, Theate, Castagne, De Bruyne, De Ketelaere, Doku, Vanaken, Mechele, Trossard

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Group D — Final Standings

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	P
1	USA	3	2	0	1	8	4	+4	6
2	Australia	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
3	Paraguay	3	1	1	1	2	4	-2	4
4	Turkey	3	1	0	2	3	5	-2	3

USA — Last 5 Matches

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
✅	USA	2–0	Bosnia & Herzegovina	World Cup	02/07/26
❌	Turkey	3–2	USA	World Cup	26/06/26
✅	USA	2–0	Australia	World Cup	19/06/26
✅	USA	4–1	Paraguay	World Cup	13/06/26
❌	USA	1–2	Germany	Friendly	06/06/26

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Group G — Final Standings

Pos	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	P
1	Belgium	3	1	2	0	6	2	+4	5
2	Egypt	3	1	2	0	5	3	+2	5
3	Iran	3	0	3	0	3	3	0	3
4	New Zealand	3	0	1	2	4	10	-6	1

Belgium — Last 5 Matches

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
✅	Belgium	3–2	Senegal	World Cup	01/07/26
✅	New Zealand	1–5	Belgium	World Cup	27/06/26
🤝	Belgium	0–0	Iran	World Cup	21/06/26
🤝	Belgium	1–1	Egypt	World Cup	15/06/26
✅	Belgium	5–0	Tunisia	Friendly	06/06/26

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Head-to-Head

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
USA	2–5	Belgium	Friendly	28/03/26
Belgium	2–1	USA	World Cup	01/07/14
USA	2–4	Belgium	Friendly	30/05/13
Belgium	1–0	USA	Friendly	06/09/11
Belgium	2–0	USA	Friendly	25/02/98

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TV Listings / Streaming

Country	Channel
USA	FOX Network, fuboTV, Telemundo
Belgium	La Une, VRT 1, Sporza, RTBF Auvio Direct
Great Britain	BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Web, BBC Radio 5 Live
Ireland	RTE 2, RTE Player, BBC One, BBC iPlayer
France	beIN Sports 1, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, myCANAL
Germany	Das Erste, MagentaTV
Spain	DAZN Spain
Canada	TSN+, TSN1, TSN3, RDS
Australia	SBS, SBS On Demand
Italy	DAZN Italia