USMNT vs – Folarin Balogun’s suspension reshapes the USMNT’s attack as the United States takes on Belgium in the World Cup round of 16 at 8 p.m. ET in Seattle, with the match airing on Fox and Telemundo and streaming options via Fox One, Tubi, and the Telemundo app.
For the third straight match in Seattle, the United States knows what the ground feels like underfoot. Now it’s the opponent that’s different—and it arrived with a familiar sting.
The USMNT returns to Lumen Field for the World Cup round of 16 against Belgium tomorrow. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET, with the venue in Seattle again serving as the stage for a do-or-die night.
The game is scheduled to air in the United States on Fox in English and on Telemundo in Spanish. Fans can also stream it through Fox One, Tubi, and the Telemundo app.
The stakes are clear: a win sends the Americans to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. Both teams already know Lumen Field from earlier in the tournament, with the USA beating Australia there and Belgium later drawing with Egypt and stunning Senegal.
But the deeper pressure sits inside the U.S. lineup.
Folarin Balogun was central to the Americans’ run, scoring three goals in the group stage. Then came the moment that changed the trajectory of this matchup—he was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina and is suspended for the Belgium game. His absence forces coach Mauricio Pochettino to reshape an attack that had been led by Balogun.
Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie will now need to carry more of the responsibility. For a team that’s coming into knockout play after making the round of 16 by handling Bosnia and Herzegovina, the timing of Balogun’s suspension turns a tactical problem into a live one.
There’s also history between these teams that the Americans can’t ignore.
The last time the United States and Belgium met in the knockout round, Belgium ended the American run. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku led Belgium past the USA in the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup. Monday falls almost exactly 12 years later, and De Bruyne is still in the mix.
Belgium’s path to this moment has been shaped by resilience as well. The team needed a late comeback to get past Senegal, arriving at the same stage where the Americans already had momentum after disposing of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The match also carries another familiar thread: the teams met earlier this year in a friendly, with Belgium winning 5-2.
All of it funnels into the same question for the U.S. at 8 p.m. ET: can it turn Lumen Field into a quarterfinal steppingstone even after losing the striker who had powered much of its earlier scoring?
The sequence feels tight for a reason—the USA has a shot at a rare postseason leap, but the one player who delivered in the group stage won’t be there to help write the next chapter.
USMNT vs Belgium Folarin Balogun suspension Lumen Field World Cup round of 16 Mauricio Pochettino Christian Pulisic Weston McKennie Kevin De Bruyne Romelu Lukaku Fox Telemundo Fox One Tubi Telemundo app