The Red Devils and the Stars and Stripes meet in a Round of 16 blockbuster at Lumen Field in Seattle (marketed as Seattle Stadium), and this one carries serious history.

Belgium eliminated the United States from the World Cup back in 2014 in a classic extra-time affair, and the two sides met again in a friendly just three months ago where Belgium ran riot in a 5-2 demolition. Now the stakes are as high as they get.

The United States have been brilliant on home soil, topping Group D and cruising past Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the Round of 32.

Belgium, meanwhile, pulled off the comeback of the tournament against Senegal, trailing 2-0 with seven minutes left in normal time before Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans dragged them into extra time and eventually through. It was heroic stuff, but it also means 120 minutes in the legs.

To celebrate the momentous occasion that is the World Cup, Sportsbet is bringing back its exclusive Super Sub feature!

How does Super Sub work? Well, it’s very simple. Place a bet on select player markets throughout the Men’s World Cup and if that player is subbed off your bet rolls over to the new player that replaced them.

For example, if you’ve bet on Kylian Mbappe to score during one of France’s matches and during that match he fails to do so and is directly substituted for Jean-Philippe Mateta who ends up scoring instead, your original bet on Mbappe is paid as a winner!

Super Sub is not exclusive to goalscoring markets either, it also applies to anytime assist, player to win one or more fouls, shots on target and more, just make sure to read all the T&Cs before locking in your bet.

Belgium vs USA prediction

We’re backing the United States to win this one in what shapes as a genuine coin-flip knockout tie.

Yes, Belgium have the head-to-head advantage and yes, they hammered the Americans in that March friendly. But tournament football is a different beast.

The USA are at home in Seattle with a crowd that will be absolutely electric. They’ve looked composed and clinical throughout this World Cup, and Mauricio Pochettino no longer needs to replace Balogun with the likes of Ricardo Pep or Haji Wright after FIFA decided to lift his one-game suspension.

Belgium’s legs are the real concern. That Senegal match went to 120 minutes and was physically and emotionally draining.

Kevin De Bruyne is 35, Lukaku has barely played club football this season, and their defence showed real vulnerability when put under pressure.

The USA’s pace on the counter through Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna and whoever slots in up front should cause problems for tiring Belgian legs.

We also like over 2.5 goals in this fixture. Both teams have been involved in high-scoring matches throughout this tournament.

The March friendly produced seven goals between them. Even with Balogun anchoring the attack, the USA will likely push more bodies forward, which opens space in behind for Belgium’s quality on the break through De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.

Both teams have the firepower to find the net, and knockout football desperation should push this one past the 2.5 mark.

If you fancy tying the Belgium and US results together, have a read of how a multi bet works first, and swing by the World Cup betting hub to see how the markets are shaping up.

Belgium vs USA team news and line-ups

Predicted Belgium line-up (4-2-3-1): Matz Sels, Thomas Meunier, Zeno Debast, Arthur Theate, Timothy Castagne, Nicolas Raskin, Amadou Onana, Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Alexis Saelemaekers, Charles De Ketelaere.

Rudi Garcia is reportedly working through a defensive rebuild and has rotated his centre-backs across recent games, though he has plenty of attacking options to pick from.

Romelu Lukaku is expected to miss out with a fitness problem, Leandro Trossard is expected to miss out with a fitness problem, while Hans Vanaken is expected to miss out with a fitness problem.

Predicted United States line-up (3-5-2): Matt Freese, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie, Johnny Cardoso, Tanner Tessmann, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balgun, Christian Pulisic.

Mauricio Pochettino reportedly has leaned on a back three through recent friendlies and is using this window to lock down his best shape ahead of the tournament.

Sergino Dest is expected to miss out with not called up, Tyler Adams is expected to miss out with a lack of fitness, Chris Richards is reportedly a doubt with a knee issue, while Miles Robinson is expected to miss out with a groin injury.

Player markets to watch

Our pick: Christian Pulisic to score anytime.

We feel Pulisic is going to be the main man for the United States. He has been involved in everything creative for this squad throughout the tournament, providing key assists and driving the attack.

Whether he plays as a false nine or drifts in from the wing, he’ll be the focal point of every American attack. Belgium’s backline looked shaky against Senegal and Pulisic has the quality to punish that.

Our pick: Kevin De Bruyne to register an assist.

Even at 35, De Bruyne remains one of the best creative midfielders on the planet. He’ll be Belgium’s primary chance creator and will look to pick out runners on the counter.

With Lukaku and Doku ahead of him, he has willing targets, and the Americans will have to push forward at home, leaving gaps for his trademark through balls.

Our pick: Youri Tielemans to score anytime.

The Aston Villa man is riding confidence after scoring twice against Senegal, including the dramatic penalty in the final seconds of extra time.

He arrives into this match in red-hot form and has shown a willingness to get into scoring positions. He’s worth a look at longer odds to find the net again.

Belgium vs USA Match Details

Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026.

Kick-off: 10:00am AEST.

Location: Lumen Field, Seattle.

Where to watch: Sportsbet, SBS.

Where to Watch Belgium vs USA

For the first time ever, Sportsbet is offering punters the chance to stream World Cup matches live*.

To watch Sportsbet's live streams of the World Cup, you must:

- Be 18+.

- Have a Sportsbet account.

- Be logged into your Sportsbet account.

- Have a positive balance OR have placed a bet in the last 24 hours.

World Cup streaming is available both in-app and on-web. As long as you meet the above requirements, you'll be able to tune in on your computer, tablet or phone.

To access the stream for Belgium vs United States simply find your way to the official betting page for this match. Or, if you have a bet on the game you can watch from your "My Bets" section.

Traditional World Cup broadcaster SBS is also showing every World Cup match, meaning you can also watch Belgium vs United States on either SBS, SBS Viceland or SBS On Demand.

*18+ Available to Sportsbet customers only. Conditions apply – see sportsbet.com.au

*Odds are subject to change.