2026 World Cup

Belgium and the United States have progressed to the last 16 and will face each other in Seattle

Belgium staged a last-gasp comeback against Senegal (3–2 after extra time), whilst the United States beat Bosnia 2–0. The two sides will face each other on 7 July at Lumen Field Stadium

by Marco Bellinazzo

2 July 2026

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Belgium v Senegal 3–2
United States v Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–0
The round of 16 tie

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The night of the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup was packed with thrills. In Seattle, Belgium staged a near-impossible comeback against Senegal, snatching a place in the last 16 with a penalty in the dying moments of extra time, whilst in Santa Clara, the United States knocked out Bosnia and Herzegovina with a solid and composed performance, despite being down to ten men for much of the second half. And now the two national teams are set to face each other in the last 16.

Belgium v Senegal 3–2

At Lumen Field Stadium in Seattle, for over eighty minutes, Senegal gave the impression of having the match completely under control. The Lions of Teranga took the lead in the 24th minute through Habib Diarra, who finished off one of the many moves created by the Africans and was quickest to react to the ball that had struck the post following a teammate’s header. Belgium struggled enormously throughout the first half to find their rhythm and create chances, whilst Senegal continued to press forward with conviction, dominating both physically and tactically.

Early in the second half, the well-deserved second goal arrived: in the 51st minute, Ismaïla Sarr made it 0–2 after a match in which he had been the standout performer, slipping through the poorly positioned Belgian defence and beating Courtois. Belgium seemed dazed by the two-goal deficit, becoming so frazzled that a heated exchange broke out between Tielemans and Trossard, which was quelled by Lukaku.

However, although Senegal came close to scoring a third goal on several occasions and even hit the woodwork twice, they failed to seal the match once and for all.

Just when it seemed the African side had qualification in the bag, there was a dramatic twist. With Belgium mounting a desperate assault, a rebound at the edge of the box allowed Trossard to cross into the Senegalese box. Romelu Lukaku pounced at the near post and, lifting the ball over the Senegalese goalkeeper, pulled one back in the 86th minute. And three minutes later, in the 89th minute, Youri Tielemans capitalised on a moment of uncertainty from goalkeeper Diaw, who had come fluttering out of his goal, to head home and seal a sensational 2–2 draw.

In extra time, both teams began to show signs of fatigue. Just as a penalty shoot-out seemed inevitable, in the 120th minute, VAR flagged a foul by Camara on Tielemans in the box. The midfielder himself stepped up to the spot and converted the penalty to seal a 3-2 victory in the 125th minute.

Belgium showed character and resilience, but also had obvious shortcomings in their organisation and defence. The man of the match award goes to Youri Tielemans, who scored the decisive brace and was the undisputed star of the comeback. Romelu Lukaku’s introduction was also crucial, as he turned the tide of the match

United States v Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–0

In Santa Clara, at a San Francisco Bay Area stadium packed with over 80,000 spectators, Mauricio Pochettino’s United States side deservedly secured their place in the next round against a Bosnian side that was well-organised but lacked bite in attack.

After a closely contested opening phase, the home side took control of the game thanks to the quality of Pulisic, McKennie and Tillman.

The turning point came right at the end of the first half. In the 45th minute, Folarin Balogun capitalised on a series of deflections in the Bosnian defence and beat Vasilj to make it 1–0. It was a goal that rewarded the Americans’ greater initiative.

Halfway through the second half, things took a turn for the worse for the USA. In the 64th minute, Balogun was sent off following a VAR review for a hard challenge on Muharemovic, who had been involved in numerous defensive interventions. Bosnia tried to capitalise on their numerical advantage, but Pochettino’s side managed to defend themselves effectively.

At the most crucial moment, Malik Tillman’s talent shone through, as he doubled the lead in the 82nd minute with a superb free-kick from the edge of the box. The goal sealed the match once and for all and sent the American crowd into raptures.

The United States have confirmed the progress they showed in the group stage. Despite playing with ten men for over half an hour, they remained compact and composed. Tillman was decisive both in building up play and in scoring the goal that sealed the win. Weston McKennie also put in an excellent performance, proving to be an inexhaustible driving force in midfield.

The Round of 16 match

Following their victories in the round of 32, Belgium and the United States are set to face each other in the round of 16. The match is scheduled for 7 July at Lumen Field Stadium in Seattle. At stake is a historic place in the quarter-finals. It will be a special encounter, a rematch of the 2014 World Cup round of 16, which Belgium won after extra time.