The United States men’s national team advanced to the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Folarin Balogun opened the scoring in the 45th minute before receiving a controversial red card in the 64th, forcing the Americans to play with 10 men for the final 26 minutes. Malik Tillman sealed the win with a stunning 82nd-minute free kick.
The match began with the U.S. controlling possession and creating early chances. Balogun had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half after a sequence involving Christian Pulisic. The breakthrough came right before halftime when Balogun capitalized on a defensive error by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Stjepan Radeljic, sliding home a composed left-footed finish from about 15 yards to make it 1-0. It was Balogun’s third goal of the tournament, joining an elite group of American scorers in World Cup history.
The second half shifted dramatically in the 64th minute when Balogun was shown a straight red card following a VAR review. In a 50/50 challenge with Tarik Muharemovic, Balogun’s right foot came down on the back of the defender’s right ankle. Referee Raphael Claus initially let play continue but issued the red card after the review. Many observers and U.S. officials described the contact as accidental and not worthy of a sending-off, noting it appeared to be a normal action while fighting for the ball. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino called it “never intentional” and “never a red card,” emphasizing it was a standard football challenge.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, the U.S. showed resilience. Bosnia and Herzegovina pushed forward but struggled to create clear-cut chances against a determined American defense. Pulisic had another goal ruled out for offside in the 78th minute. In the 82nd minute, Tillman curled in a direct free kick from just outside the box that beat goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj, making it 2-0. The goal was Tillman’s first of the tournament and came after he had been a constant threat in midfield and attack.
Post-match, Pulisic praised the team’s character: “The guys had to dig in deep. It didn’t go exactly to plan with the red card, but that just shows what a good team we are.” He added that the group told themselves they needed to “dig deep in moments like this” and “defend and that’s OK.” Coach Pochettino expressed pride in the resilience, saying, “It’s about to keep dreaming. In football all is possible if you believe.” Tillman reflected on his free-kick goal: “I’ve been dreaming about this game. I’ve been dreaming about maybe taking a free kick and scoring a free kick. I’ve practiced this in training and I think today I showed what I can do.” Defender Chris Richards noted, “It wasn’t a perfect day, by any means. But it was our day.”
The victory marked the U.S. team’s second World Cup knockout-stage win in history and kept their home-tournament dreams alive. Balogun’s red card means he will miss the round-of-16 match due to suspension, a significant loss given his three goals in the tournament so far.
The U.S. will face Belgium in the round of 16 on Monday, July 6, at Lumen Field in Seattle. Belgium advanced by defeating Senegal and presents a stern test with their experienced squad and attacking quality. The matchup revives memories of the 2014 World Cup round of 16, when Belgium defeated the U.S. 2-1 in extra time.
Prediction The U.S. enters the Belgium clash with momentum from a gritty performance but will be without Balogun. Belgium’s experience and depth make them favorites, yet the co-hosts’ home support and defensive resilience could produce another upset. A narrow 2-1 victory for the United States feels plausible if they manage the game intelligently and capitalize on set pieces, though Belgium’s counterattacking threat keeps the outcome uncertain.
The U.S. showed it can win ugly when needed, a trait that will be essential against stronger opposition ahead. With Pulisic leading and the team demonstrating character after the red card, the Americans have every reason to believe they can continue their run.
