USA vs Belgium
The United States have drawn Belgium as their Round of 16 opponents in the World Cup 2026, following their wire-to-wire win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the previous round, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side is planning to avenge their most recent experience with the Red Devils.
Belgium pummeled the United States a few months ago in an international friendly, which raised doubts about Pochettino’s coaching chops. However, fast forward to today, and the Stars and Stripes are suddenly a dark horse contender, while the Red Devils are lucky to be here.
Rudi Garcia’s men are coming off a 3-2 victory over Senegal to keep their finals dreams alive, and they’re keen on using their momentum to send one of the quadrennial tournament’s co-hosts home on Monday at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.
Talking Points
No Balogun, big problem for USA
The United States will be without Folarin Balogun on Monday, as the AS Monaco striker received a straight red card for his studs-up challenge on Tarik Muharemovic in the second half of their 2-0 win last time out. While Balogun has taken the high road on the incident, head coach Mauricio Pochettino disagrees with the decision, reiterating that Balogun didn’t intend to hurt the Bosnian centre-back.
Losing Balogun is a major blow, as he leads the team in scoring with three goals in this year’s finals. Since the Stars and Stripes cannot appeal the red card to FIFA, they have no choice but to make the most of what they currently have left.
Christian Pulisic will have a lot more on his plate, and the AC Milan forward has yet to find the back of the net in this competition. Ricardo Pepi will likely take Balogun’s No. 9 spot. Malik Tillman, Sebastian Berhalter, Gio Reyna, and Tim Weah will also shoulder more attacking responsibility.
Weston McKennie can also score a goal or two, but his main role is manning the middle with Tyler Adams. Sergino Dest and Antonee Robinson will provide width as the team’s wing-backs. Chris Richards, Tim Ream, and Alex Freeman will provide cover for goalkeeper Matt Freese.
Belgium’s attack is picking up steam
Belgium have grown into the finals, and their revamped attack is the reason they’re still alive. Since back-to-back draws against Egypt (1-1) and Iran (0-0), Rudi Garcia’s men have scored eight goals in their last two games while conceding three.
Leandro Trossard sparked Belgium’s offence with a brace in their 5-1 rout of New Zealand, with Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Saelemaekers joining him on the scoresheet. Lukaku also found the back of the net to kickstart their comeback against Senegal, with Youri Tielemans’ brace providing the finishing touch.
For Belgium to beat the United States again, they’ll need better performances from Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere, who didn’t have much of an impact against Senegal.
History
The United States and Belgium first faced off in the 1930 World Cup, when the former won 3-0 in the opening match of Group 4. With two wins, the United States advanced to the knockout stage, where they eventually lost 6-1 to Argentina – who finished as runners-up behind inaugural champions Uruguay.
Since then, Belgium have never lost to the United States, with four of their next five games being international friendlies. These two nations would meet again in the World Cup during the Round of 16 in 2014, where the Red Devils won 2-1 in added extra time.
The Stars and Stripes and Red Devils most recently clashed in an exhibition game last March, where the latter won 5-2. Zeno Debast, Amadou Onana, Charles De Ketelaere, and Dodi Lukebakio (brace) were on the scoresheet for Belgium, while Weston McKennie and Patrick Agyemang scored for the United States.
Betting Tip
The World Cup 2026 odds are kinder to the United States this time around, as they aren’t far off from Belgium ahead of Monday. The Red Devils are slightly favoured to win at 2.54, while the Stars and Stripes are at 2.70, and a draw after 90 minutes is at 3.36 in the 1X2 market.
Both teams have generated numerous World Cup 2026 highlights, and that’s not about to change on Monday. However, choosing the winner between the United States and Belgium is easier said than done.
Moreover, SBOTOP bettors may consider adding Over 2.50 at 1.78, Over 2.75 at 2.00, and Total Goal 4-6 at 3.01 to the parlay. Total Goal 7 & Over – the outcome of their previous encounter – is quite a long shot at 26.00 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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