The United States and Belgium have named their starting lineups for the World Cup Round of 16 meeting in Seattle, with Monaco striker Folarin Balogun cleared to lead the American attack after his red-card suspension was overturned.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side welcome back their top scorer, who was dismissed during the victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the previous round. FIFA’s decision to lift the ban allows the forward to partner Christian Pulisic and Sergiño Dest in an attacking trio, while captain Tim Ream marshals a defence that includes Matt Freese in goal.
Confirmed Lineups
United States: Freese; Freeman, Richards, Ream (c), Robinson; Tillman, Adams, McKennie; Dest, Balogun, Pulisic.
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Malik Tillman retains his place after netting the decisive free-kick against Bosnia, but Borussia Mönchengladbach pair Joe Scally and Gio Reyna must settle for places on the substitutes’ bench.
Belgium: Courtois; Castagne, Mechele, Ngoy, de Cuyper; Onana, Raskin; Lukebakio, Tielemans (c), Trossard; Charles de Ketelaere.
Rudi Garcia has made significant changes to the side that required extra time to defeat Senegal. Lille centre-back Nathan Ngoy replaces Arthur Theate in defence, while Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku are both relegated to the bench. Youri Tielemans wears the armband and supports lone striker Charles de Ketelaere.
Tactical Shake-ups
The availability of Balogun represents a major boost for the USMNT, whose offence struggled after his dismissal in the last fixture. His physical presence up front offers a focal point against a Belgian back line featuring debutant tournament minutes for Ngoy alongside the experienced Brandon Mechele.
Belgium’s decision to omit De Bruyne from the starting eleven signals a shift in midfield responsibility towards Amadou Onana and debutant Nicolas Raskin, with Tielemans tasked with supplying Leandro Trossard and Dodi Lukebakio on the flanks.
Path to the Knockout Stage
The United States progressed despite finishing the Bosnia match with ten men, Balogun having opened the scoring before his dismissal. Belgium’s campaign hung in the balance after they trailed Senegal by two goals, but a dramatic comeback sent the 2018 semi-finalists through to face Pochettino’s group.
Victory in Seattle secures a place in the quarter-finals for either side, with the winner set to face the victor of the earlier fixture between Argentina and Denmark.