SEATTLE – The U.S. Men’s National Team has reached the Round of 16 for the seventh time in FIFA World Cup history. This time around, it’s taken winning in a variety of ways and a variety of contributors to reach the significant stage of the competition.
The USMNT has won three times, the most wins ever for the U.S. in a single edition of the tournament. In the first, the U.S. exploded to defeat Paraguay 4-1 in the group stage opener behind a first-half brace from striker Folarin Balogun at Los Angeles Stadium. Then, in a clash between the top two teams in Group D, the U.S. handled Australia, and an Alex Freeman header rocked Seattle in the USA’s 2-0 shutout win. The third, a true test of resilience, occurred in the Round of 32 when a 10-man U.S. side held off Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
In all four of its FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, the U.S. has scored multiple goals, becoming the first-ever non-European or South American nation to do so. The country’s 10 goals more than triples its output from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Six different U.S. players have scored in this FIFA World Cup – Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna, Alex Freeman, Auston Trusty, Sebastian Berhalter and Malik Tillman.
The journey for the USMNT in 2026 has been driven by the collective, contributions from many, and a sense of togetherness that transcends off the pitch – the knowledge that any player can be called upon, evident in the group stage finale against Türkiye, which saw head coach Mauricio Pochettino make nine changes to the starting XI from the win over Australia.
“Our power is in the 26 players,” Pochettino said on Sunday. “If it’s not one, it’s another… the power is in the group.”
Pochettino cited his team’s performance last time out in the Round of 32. Forced to play one man down for more than 35 minutes of regulation plus stoppage time after Balogun was sent off with a red card, the U.S. stood tall. The team tightened up defensively to ensure Bosnia and Herzegovina didn’t find the equalizer. Then, Tillman delivered an incredible free kick, reminiscent of USMNT legend Jozy Altidore, to add some insurance.
The players’ response to finish that match strong in the face of adversity gave the manager “an amazing feeling.”
“It’s an amazing capacity to survive how we survived Bosnia and Herzegovina with 10 men and scored a goal with one fewer man,” Pochettino said. “It’s in the way that they made the effort.”
Balogun leads the team in scoring this tournament with three goals plus the forced own goal against Australia. The team is happy to have him available to play tomorrow’s knockout fixture against ninth-ranked Belgium. Had his one-game suspension stood, the U.S. was ready to fall back on its ‘next man up’ mentality, defined by a belief in the collective, which has powered the team’s path to this moment.
“We were prepared for anything, right?” fullback Alex Freeman said. “We are prepared for any of the 26 men to come out and step up. Yesterday, we weren’t thinking about any of this. Now that we have it here, tomorrow stays with the same mental preparation.”
With Balogun available, Pochettino will have a full arsenal at his disposal – “better tools, better possibilities,” the head coach said. This comes against a quality European opponent that, like all three teams the U.S. faced in the group stage, the USMNT met in the lead-up to FIFA World Cup 2026. USA-Belgium previously played each other on March 28, 2026 in a non-official match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.
In that match, the home side started strong and opened the scoring with a skillful touch on the back post from midfielder Weston McKennie off a Tillman corner kick. Belgium answered just before halftime, then pulled away in the second half to earn the victory part of a current 17-match unbeaten streak under head coach Rudi Garcia.
That match back in March did not feature U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams, wingback Sergiño Dest, center back Chris Richards and goalkeeper Matt Freese, who are on the current roster and have started three of the tournament’s four matches. Pochettino hopes extra reinforcements, the fortress for the U.S. that is Seattle Stadium, and the team’s recent run of good form will bring a result that will send the U.S. through to its first Quarterfinal since 2002.
“Our focus is in trying to improve from March, and I think we’ve improved,” Pochettino said. “It's true that was not an official game in March. But this is a World Cup, and I think we are going to have the support of our fans, the 12th Man it’s called here. I hope that it will be a different result. I hope that we can perform better and be more consistent.”
Belgium arrived in the Round of 16 after finishing first place in Group G. The UEFA nation tied Egypt and Iran, then went on to rout New Zealand 5-1 to lock up a spot in the knockout round. In the Round of 32, Belgium overcame a two-goal deficit in the final five minutes of regulation and scored in the dying moments of extra time to defeat Senegal 3-2 in Seattle.
“They have unbelievable players with experience,” Pochettino said. “This unbelievable team is one of the contenders for the World Cup… that is going to be an amazing challenge for us to face one of the greatest teams in the world.”
