Twelve years ago, Tim Howard made 16 saves at the 2014 World Cup and Belgium still won 2-1 in extra time. Sixteen saves. A World Cup record. And they still lost.
That is the kind of history that sits uncomfortably in American football memory. The USA holds a 1-5-0 record against Belgium all time, with their only win coming at the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay. Now, with the World Cup arriving on American soil this summer, Mauricio Pochettino has brought the Red Devils to Atlanta for what is essentially a revenge match with enormous psychological weight attached to it.
The USMNT enter this window on a five-game unbeaten run including that historic 5-1 destruction of Uruguay last November. Pochettino has nine MLS players in this squad, which tells you this is also a selection process. Somebody is going to earn their World Cup spot on Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and everybody in that dressing room knows it.
Belgium topped UEFA Qualifying Group J with 18 points, five wins and three draws, scoring 29 goals and conceding just seven. The golden generation is gone but the talent pipeline has not dried up. De Bruyne is still pulling strings. Doku is one of the most electric wide players in Europe. And Rudi Garcia has this team organised, confident, and genuinely dangerous. The World Cup is three months away. Nobody is here to lose.
USA vs Belgium: Key Stats
Head-to-head: USA 1 win, Belgium 5 wins, 0 draws
USA: Five game unbeaten run including a 5-1 win over Uruguay
USA: Three consecutive wins conceding one goal or fewer in each
USA: Have not allowed a second-half goal in their last six internationals
Belgium: Topped UEFA qualifying Group J unbeaten with 29 goals scored
Belgium: Won their last five meetings against the USA
Belgium: Unbeaten in their last four away internationals
USA: Missing Tyler Adams, Haji Wright, Sergino Dest and Roman Celentano through injury
Belgium: Romelu Lukaku withdrawn with a hamstring injury
Photo Credit (Getty Images)
What to Expect
USA are the hosts and they have the crowd, the momentum, and a point to prove against their most historically frustrating opponent. Pochettino has built a team that is hard to beat defensively. They have not conceded a second-half goal in six straight internationals, which is a remarkable stat. Pulisic leads the attack two goals away from fourth on the all-time scoring list. Folarin Balogun is in the form of his life at Monaco with 15 goals across all competitions this season. His movement and finishing make him the main attacking threat for the Americans. If the USA can stay compact, absorb pressure, and hit Belgium on the counter through Pulisic and Balogun, they have a genuine chance of ending that five-game losing streak.
Belgium arrive without Lukaku, their all-time top scorer, and with Trossard and Vanaken also missing through injury. Those are three significant absences. But De Bruyne remains their heartbeat, his influence unquestionable even returning from injury, while Doku and De Ketelaere give them pace and creativity across the forward line. Garcia has made Belgium hard to beat since taking over in January 2025 and even without their first-choice attackers, the Red Devils have enough quality to hurt any defence in the world when they get the ball moving quickly.
Predicted Lineups
USA (4-3-3)
Freese; Richards, McKenzie, Trusty, Robinson; Tessmann, McKennie, Aaronson; Weah, Balogun, Pulisic
Belgium (4-3-3)
Sels; Meunier, Mechele, Theate, Castagne; Tielemans, De Bruyne, Raskin; Saelemaekers, De Ketelaere, Doku
Players to Watch
Folarin Balogun - Fifteen goals this season at Monaco including five in the Champions League. Named Monaco's Player of the Month for February with four goals. He is in the form of his career at exactly the right time and this is his stage to announce himself to the American public on home soil before the World Cup.
Christian Pulisic - Two goals from equalling Eric Wynalda for fourth on the all-time USA scoring list. He has been the face of this programme for years and in a game this significant, he will demand the ball in the moments that matter. Belgium will not enjoy facing him in Atlanta.
Kevin De Bruyne - Returned from injury and immediately reminded everyone that even at 34, he is Belgium's most important player. Six international goals in 2025, second on the all-time Belgian scoring charts behind only Lukaku. If De Bruyne is sharp and fit, Belgium are a completely different prospect.
Jeremy Doku - The Manchester City winger is Belgium's most dangerous attacking option with Lukaku and Trossard absent. Direct, explosive, and nearly impossible to stop in a one-on-one situation. USA's fullbacks need to be ready for him from the very first minute.
Prediction
USA to win: 2.30
Belgium to win: 2.90
Draw: 3.35
Over 2.5 Goals: 1.75
Prediction: USA 1-3 Belgium
The data pulls in interesting directions here. Belgium have won their last five meetings against the USA but are walking in without Lukaku, Trossard and Vanaken. USA have not allowed a second-half goal in six straight internationals and are playing at home in front of a crowd that will be absolutely electric on a World Cup preview night. Belgium's quality and experience gives them the edge on paper.
