The USA vs Belgium odds now point to a 2026 World Cup round of 16 meeting after Belgium edged Senegal with a last-gasp extra-time penalty. Youri Tielemans struck it, and the finish carried Belgium through to a place in the last eight.
The United States reached the same stage by beating Bosnia 2-0 while playing with ten men. That sets up a direct knockout test between the United States and Belgium, with one team moving on and the other going out.
Youri Tielemans decides it
Tielemans coolly dispatched the penalty in extra time, and the goal was described as the latest in World Cup history. Belgium had already dragged themselves level by scoring two goals in the final five minutes of regulation time to make it 2-2 against Senegal.
That route matters because Belgium did not reach this point by controlling games cleanly from start to finish. They advanced without being vintage, after periods where they struggled to create and were not fluid in possession.
Belgium’s awkward route
The tournament has still shown why Belgium remain difficult to dismiss. They beat New Zealand 5-1, produced 21 shots from dead-ball situations, and have been dangerous from attacking set-pieces.
Leandro Trossard has created 16 chances from open play at the World Cup, while Romelu Lukaku has scored 92 goals in 130 caps for Belgium. Those numbers sit beside the bigger problem for opponents: Belgium can win without looking smooth, especially when wingers and full-backs link quickly and Maxim De Cuyper makes an underlapping run on the left side.
The United States waits
Belgium are ranked No 9 in the world, while the United States are 17th. Pochettino will have to plan for a side that has been hard to pin down in possession but sharp enough to punish a late lapse, with Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku still central to how Belgium stretch the field.
The match now carries a simple edge: one place in the last eight, one knockout. The United States have already shown they can handle pressure with a 2-0 win over Bosnia while down to ten men, and now they face a Belgium side that arrives with set-piece threat, late-game edge, and a penalty from Tielemans that changed the draw.
