Seattle gets a rematch only three months after Belgium’s five-goal victory in Atlanta. The USA now have home support and a stronger tournament record behind them, but the suspension of their leading scorer changes the attacking equation before a place in the quarter-finals is decided.
On July 7 at 05:30 IST, “USA” will meet “Belgium” at “Seattle Stadium”. The match is played on July 6 in Washington state, but begins after midnight according to Indian time.
Both teams advanced from the Round of 32 on July 1. The USA defeated “Bosnia and Herzegovina” 2-0 despite playing the final half-hour with ten men. Belgium followed a far more dramatic route, overturning a two-goal deficit in the closing minutes before eliminating “Senegal” 3-2 after extra time.
Seattle is familiar territory for both sides. The USA beat “Australia” there during the group stage, while Belgium drew with “Egypt” and later completed their comeback against Senegal at the same venue. The home crowd should favor Mauricio Pochettino’s team, but Belgium already know the conditions and avoid additional travel before the match.
Teams Current Form
“USA” form
The USA have won three of their four World Cup matches. Victories over “Paraguay” and “Australia” secured first place in Group D before Pochettino made nine changes for the 3-2 defeat to “Türkiye”. The first-choice group returned against Bosnia and produced another clean sheet.
The Round of 32 performance showed defensive resilience. Matt Freese made three saves, Tim Ream organised the back line and the team protected its advantage after Folarin Balogun’s dismissal. Malik Tillman then scored directly from a free kick to remove the pressure during the final minutes.
Balogun’s absence is a major tactical problem. He has scored three World Cup goals and offers the pace needed to attack space behind a high defensive line. Ricardo Pepi is the natural replacement, although his movement and combination play will give the attack a different shape.
Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest must therefore carry more creative responsibility. The USA can still attack Belgium’s defensive transitions, but they lose the forward who has been most efficient inside the penalty area.
“Belgium” form
Belgium’s tournament has moved between frustration and sudden attacking explosions. Draws with “Egypt” and “Iran” left qualification uncertain, before a 5-1 victory over “New Zealand” carried the team to first place in Group G.
The Senegal match exposed serious weaknesses. Belgium struggled against pace, conceded twice and were close to elimination until Romelu Lukaku scored in the 86th minute. Youri Tielemans equalised shortly afterward and then converted the winning penalty deep into extra time.
Lukaku’s impact gives Rudi Garcia a selection decision. Charles De Ketelaere started the previous two games as the central forward, but Lukaku changed the physical balance immediately after entering against Senegal. His ability to occupy Tim Ream and Chris Richards may earn him a starting place.
Kevin De Bruyne remains the main source of progression through midfield, while Leandro Trossard has provided Belgium’s most consistent final-third contribution. Jeremy Doku also presents the exact type of one-on-one threat that troubled the American defence during Belgium’s 5-2 friendly win in March.
Probable Lineups
“USA” lineup
4-2-3-1: Matt Freese, Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi.
“Belgium” lineup
4-2-3-1: Thibaut Courtois, Timothy Castagne, Brandon Mechele, Arthur Theate, Maxim De Cuyper, Youri Tielemans, Hans Vanaken, Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard, Romelu Lukaku.
Who will not play
For “USA”, Folarin Balogun is suspended after receiving a red card against “Bosnia and Herzegovina”. Mark McKenzie and Cristian Roldan were unavailable for the previous match, so their condition must be checked again before the Round of 16.
For “Belgium”, no fresh suspension was confirmed following the victory over “Senegal”. Kevin De Bruyne’s minutes have been managed during the tournament, but he remains available. The main uncertainty concerns whether Romelu Lukaku is fit enough to start after his decisive substitute appearance.
The most accurate information on the lineups will be available immediately before the meeting.
Statistics for the Last 5 Matches
“USA”
01.07.26, FIFA World Cup Round of 32: USA 2-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
25.06.26, FIFA World Cup: USA 2-3 Türkiye
19.06.26, FIFA World Cup: USA 2-0 Australia
12.06.26, FIFA World Cup: USA 4-1 Paraguay
06.06.26, Friendly: USA 1-2 Germany
In the last five official and friendly matches, “USA” have 3 wins and 2 defeats. The team scored 11 goals and conceded 6.
“Belgium”
01.07.26, FIFA World Cup Round of 32: Belgium 3-2 Senegal after extra time
26.06.26, FIFA World Cup: New Zealand 1-5 Belgium
21.06.26, FIFA World Cup: Belgium 0-0 Iran
15.06.26, FIFA World Cup: Belgium 1-1 Egypt
06.06.26, Friendly: Belgium 5-0 Tunisia
In the last five official and friendly matches, “Belgium” have 3 wins, including one after extra time, and 2 draws. The team scored 14 goals and conceded 4.
Head-to-Head Statistics
28.03.26, Friendly: USA 2-5 Belgium
01.07.14, FIFA World Cup Round of 16: Belgium 2-1 USA after extra time
29.05.13, Friendly: USA 2-4 Belgium
06.09.11, Friendly: Belgium 1-0 USA
25.02.98, Friendly: Belgium 2-0 USA
Belgium have won each of the last five senior head-to-head matches. Across seven recorded meetings, the USA’s only victory was a 3-0 result at the 1930 World Cup.
Main prediction for the “USA” - “Belgium” game
USA – Belgium: forecast on event 7 July 2026
Belgium Win
The USA have the crowd, the cleaner World Cup results and a defence that has kept three clean sheets across its four tournament victories. Removing Balogun from the attack, however, changes the matchup significantly. Belgium can defend with less concern about runs behind the centre-backs and focus more attention on Pulisic.
Belgium have not played consistently well, but their bench gives them several routes back into a difficult match. Lukaku, De Ketelaere, Trossard and Doku provide different attacking profiles, while De Bruyne and Tielemans can decide isolated moments from open play or set pieces.
The USA should keep the contest close, particularly during the opening hour. Belgium’s individual quality and stronger record in this matchup provide the narrower qualification edge if the game moves into extra time.
For
Additional predictions
USA – Belgium: forecast on event 7 July 2026
Both teams to score - yes
The USA have scored in each of their last five matches, including four goals against “Paraguay” and two while playing with ten men against “Bosnia and Herzegovina”. Belgium have conceded in three of their four World Cup games and allowed Senegal to create enough chances for a two-goal lead.
Belgium also possess too much attacking variety to be treated as likely non-scorers. A 1-1 result after ninety minutes or a 2-1 victory for either team fits the matchup better than a one-sided score.
