England and Belgium Face African Teams as US Aims for World Cup Round of 16

The 2026 World Cup round of 32 continues with England and Belgium preparing to face African opponents, while host nation the United States seeks to advance to the round of 16 for the second consecutive time. England will play the Democratic Republic of Congo in Atlanta at 19:00 local time. England, which missed the 1994 World Cup held in the US, returned strongly with a 4-2 win over Croatia but then struggled with a goalless draw against Ghana and a 2-0 win over Panama. Despite inconsistent performances, England topped their group. Congo, making only their second World Cup appearance and first since changing their name from Zaire, advanced with a 1-1 draw against Portugal and a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, exceeding expectations and eager to continue their success.

Belgium faces Senegal in Seattle at 23:00 local time in a tightly contested match. Senegal, the African champions before the title was revoked after a final controversy, advanced from a tough group including France and Norway, highlighted by a 5-0 win over Iraq. Belgium, once considered a golden generation with hopes of winning the World Cup, now relies on veteran Kevin De Bruyne and striker Romelu Lukaku, with young Jeremy Doku providing energy. Their ability to reach the round of 16 remains uncertain.

The United States, also a host nation, plays Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara at 03:00. The US impressed with a 4-1 win over Paraguay and 2-0 over Australia but stumbled in a 3-2 loss to Turkey. They hope to leverage home support against Bosnia, a team that shocked Italy to qualify and drew with Canada in the group stage. Bosnia features a veteran squad led by Edin Džeko and a promising young scorer, Armin Mašović, who could influence the match. The US aims to continue its strong World Cup showing on home soil.