Who could USA face in World Cup quarterfinals? Potential opponents, bracket
Who could USA face in World Cup quarterfinals? Potential opponents, bracket
Jacob Camenker, USA TODAYSat, July 4, 2026 at 12:02 PM UTC
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The United States men's national team won a knockout stage match at the World Cup for the first time since 2002 with its 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Now, the USMNT will look to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals for just the third time in the country's history.
To achieve that goal, the USA will have to beat a Belgium squad that currently ranks No. 9 overall in the world, according to the FIFA World Ranking.
The United States and Belgium have twice before met at the World Cup. The first came in the inaugural tournament in 1930, a 3-0 victory for the USMNT.
More recently, Belgium earned a 2-1 victory over the United States in the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Mauricio Pochettino's squad will be looking to avenge that defeat, as well as a 5-2 Belgium victory during a pre-tournament friendly.
Who will the USA face next if it can earn a victory over Kevin De Bruyne and Co.? Here's what to know about the USMNT's potential quarterfinal opponents as the squad looks to make one of its deepest World Cup runs on home soil.
Who could USA face in World Cup quarterfinals?
If the United States is able to beat Belgium in the round of 16, it would advance to face the winner of the Portugal vs. Spain round of 16 match.
Spain entered the 2026 World Cup as the co-favorites to win the tournament, alongside France. The Spanish side was shocked in its tournament opener, a goalless draw with Cape Verde, but has since won three consecutive matches.
While much of the attention for Spain has been on 18-year-old wunderkind Lamine Yamal, La Roja's defense has thus far been the story of the tournament. Spain hasn't yet conceded a goal across its four matches, and it will be difficult for any team to break through that strong unit.
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Portugal hasn't been quite as sharp as Spain despite remaining undefeated across its first four matches. Portugal has won twice and drawn twice but is fresh off a tightly contested match against Croatia, during which Luka Modric's squad nearly had a last-minute equalizer to send the contest to extra time.
Cristiano Ronaldoscored his first-ever knockout stage goal in Portugal's win over Croatia, but he will need to be at his best to break through against Spain.
Either squad would be a tough test for the United States. Spain currently ranks third in the FIFA World Ranking while Portugal checks in at No. 7 overall.
By comparison, the USMNT ranks 16th worldwide.
2026 World Cup bracket
Below is a look at how the World Cup bracket is shaping up entering the round of 16.
Quarter 1
France vs. Paraguay
Canada vs. Morocco
Quarter 2
Portugal vs. Spain
Belgium vs. USA
Quarter 3
Brazil vs. Norway
England vs. Mexico
Quarter 4
Argentina vs. Egypt
Switzerland vs. Colombia
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who could USA face in World Cup quarterfinals if it beats Belgium?
Source: “AOL Sports”
