FIFA WC: Klinsmann Feels Belgium Are Favourites Against USA In Last-16 Tie

FIFA WC: Klinsmann feels Belgium are favourites against USA in last-16 tie (Image Source: IANS)

Technical Study Group: Former USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who is part of FIFA's Technical Study Group for the 2026 World Cup, has picked Belgium as a favourites in the round of 16 tie against the co-host USA, scheduled on Tuesday at the Seattle Stadium.

Belgium have not lost a match since March 20, 2025, a 3-1 defeat against Ukraine in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs and head coach Rudi Garcia’s first match in charge. Since then, Belgium has accrued an eye-popping 11W-0L-6D record across all competitions (FIFA World Cup, UEFA World Cup qualification, UEFA Nations League play-offs, friendlies), buoyed by a +40 goal differential in those 17 matches.

"I would slightly put Belgium as a favourite because of their history and the quality of the team. They also had a friendly in March where they looked really strong against the US, winning 5-2 so I give the favourite role to Belgium," Klinsmann told FIFA.

The USA faced Belgium on seven previous occasions. In the first meeting, their lone victory came via a 3-0 win at the inaugural World Cup in Montevideo, Uruguay. That contest nearly 100 years ago was the joint inaugural World Cup match and still stands as the joint largest margin of victory for the Americans at the World Cup, recently matched by the USMNT’s three-goal victory against Paraguay to open this year’s tournament.

Since then, the United States has lost six consecutive matches against Belgium, with the two most recent encounters coming in the Round of 16 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and a pre-World Cup tune-up in Atlanta earlier this year. Notably, the last competitive match against Belgium in the 2014 World Cup saw USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard make a single-match World Cup record 16 saves.

"But the US team has matured and has an incredible amount of confidence now as well as a belief through being the home team and on a good run. They have set a bar for themselves in the first half against Paraguay in the opening game and if they get close to that level of play, they are capable of being Belgium," he added.

Since then, the United States has lost six consecutive matches against Belgium, with the two most recent encounters coming in the Round of 16 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and a pre-World Cup tune-up in Atlanta earlier this year. Notably, the last competitive match against Belgium in the 2014 World Cup saw USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard make a single-match World Cup record 16 saves.

Belgium, meanwhile, won Group G thanks to a big 5-1 win against New Zealand in the group stage finale after posting back-to-back draws against Egypt and IR Iran to start the tournament. In its first knockout stage match, they erased a 2-0 deficit against Senegal in the final minutes of regular time to win 3-2 in extra time at Seattle Stadium.

Article Source: IANS