USA vs Belgium: A history of seven meetings ahead of their World Cup 2026 round of 16 clash

The 2026 World Cup is entering the knockout stage, and the round of 16 brings together the United States and Belgium in what promises to be a compelling matchup. For the Americans, this is a chance to build on their historic run and potentially surpass their best-ever finish. Belgium, meanwhile, looks to redeem itself after a string of underwhelming tournaments and prove that its golden generation still has something to offer. The two national teams have faced each other seven times in official and friendly matches. The USA's only victory came back in 1930 during the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay. That day in Montevideo, the Americans defeated Belgium 3-0 with goals from Bart McGhee, Tommy Florie, and Bert Patenaude. Goalkeeper Jimmy Douglas kept a clean sheet, recording the first shutout in World Cup history. The U.S. went on to beat Paraguay 3-0, reached the semifinals, and finished third after losing to Argentina – still the country's best World Cup performance. The most recent official meeting was at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Belgium entered as heavy favorites, but a superb performance by goalkeeper Tim Howard kept the score 0-0 after 90 minutes. In extra time, Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring, and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead. Julian Green pulled one back for the U.S., but Thibaut Courtois made crucial saves to secure a 2-1 win for Belgium. Belgium has also dominated friendly encounters, winning in 1995, 1998, and 2011. Now the two sides meet again in a high-stakes knockout match that could define their World Cup campaigns.