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USMNT vs. Belgium: Meet America's most notorious World Cup foe

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino. David Gonzales-Imagn Images

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USMNT vs. Belgium: Meet America's most notorious World Cup foe

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated Jul 4, 2026 4:22 PM ET

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The United States Men's National Team will continue its 2026 FIFA World Cup journey on Monday in Seattle, Wash.

It's set to face Belgium — one of its most infamous World Cup rivals — in the Round of 16 of the tournament. The winner of the match will advance to a quarterfinal showdown with Spain or Portugal; the loser will be eliminated.

The USMNT and Belgium have quite a history. Their Round of 16 battle in the 2014 World Cup is one of the most famous games in American soccer lore, and the two nations played a friendly just a few months ago in Atlanta, Ga. (Belgium won 5-2 dominantly.)

New to the USMNT bandwagon? New to Belgium as an opponent? Here are your burning Belgium questions answered in advance of this fateful World Cup clash.

What's Belgium's World Cup history?

Belgium has been a fixture at World Cups since the very beginning. It played its first tournament match against the USMNT in 1930 (and lost 3-0). It failed to qualify for the tournament in the mid-2000s, but it bounced back in a big way in 2014 with the advent of its "Golden Generation" of players. That generation made the quarterfinals in 2014, then finished third in 2018 — good enough for Belgium's best World Cup finish.

What's the story of that USMNT-Belgium match in 2014?

The USMNT entered 2014 with little hype. Drawn into a "Group of Death" featuring eventual champion Germany, perennial favorite Portugal and notorious American bogey team Ghana, most outlets expected the USMNT to crash out of the Cup in the group stage with its tail between its legs.

It did no such thing. A win against Ghana and a draw against Portugal were enough to earn it a knockout berth in the Round of 16 — against, you guessed it, Belgium.

Belgium was the overwhelming favorite from the jump, but the USMNT held on to keep the match scoreless through 90 minutes of play. Keeper Tim Howard made a record-setting 16 saves throughout the game to keep the USMNT competitive. To put that in perspective, 2026 tournament darling Vozinha made just eight in his iconic performance against Argentina.

@foxsoccer 16 SAVES. ONE LEGENDARY USMNT NIGHT Tim Howard delivers a record-breaking performance for @ussoccer against Belgium in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 42 days until the FIFA World Cup on FOX! #fifaworldcup #soccer #usmnt ♬ original sound - FOXSoccer

It wasn't quite enough. Belgium broke through in extra time through Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku and took a 2-0 lead. But out of nowhere, substitute Julian Green lasered a long-range shot into the Belgium goal to make it 2-1 with just 15 minutes left to play. The USMNT continued to fight — and striker Chris Wondolowski missed a sitter that would've tied things up — but ultimately, Belgium left the match victorious.

Will any players from that 2014 match return for this 2026 meeting?

Yes, but exclusively on the Belgian side. Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Axel Witsel have all remained on the Belgium roster throughout the years and will be available for selection against the USMNT.

How has Belgium performed at this World Cup?

Not well, to be honest. It drew both of its opening matches against Iran and Egypt to find itself outside of the Group G advancement spots, then snatched a wild, incongruous 5-1 win over New Zealand on the final day to seal its advancement to the knockout rounds. It fell 2-0 to Senegal in the Round of 32 and looked certain to be eliminated, but a flurry of late goals — including a very controversial penalty in the fifth minute of added time after 30 minutes of extra time — earned it a shock 3-2 win.

@foxsports TIELEMANS BURIES THE PEN TO GIVE BELGIUM THE LEAD LATE IN EXTRA TIME #FIFAWorldCup #Belgium #BelgiumvsSenegal #soccertiktok #Tielemans ♬ original sound - FOX Sports

Do any USMNT players have ties to Belgium?

Yes! Defender Mark McKenzie spent several years with Genk in the Belgian league.

Can the USMNT win this match?

It's a coin flip. Of all the opponents the USMNT could've drawn in this round, it probably would've chosen Belgium; it's a hot and cold team that has struggled to find consistency on the World Cup stage.

The truth remains, though, that when Belgium is on, it's really, really on. Its 5-2 drubbing of the USMNT last March is a sobering reminder of just how dominant it can be. The USMNT has grown a lot since then — with all the love in the world, coach Mauricio Pochettino probably won't start Max Arfsten at left back against Jeremy Doku again — but it will have to be near-perfect to take Belgium down.

Alyssa Clang

Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you’re probably better off finding her here

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