FIFA World Cup 2026: US advances with 2-0 win in knockout round

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The U.S. men’s national soccer team advanced to the round of 16 at the World Cup on Wednesday, shutting out Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0.

The knockout-round victory was tempered by the loss of star striker Folarin Balogun, who was shown a red card after a second-half collision with the Bosnian defender. He cannot appeal, so Balogun must sit out the Americans’ next match, The Athletic reported.

The U.S. squad will face Belgium in Seattle on Monday. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. If the Americans prevail, they would advance to the quarterfinal round on July 10 in Los Angeles.

The U.S. team’s only previous knockout-round victory came in 2002 in a match that ended at approximately 4:30 a.m. ET, The Athletic reported.

Belgium advanced on Wednesday with a 3-2 victory against Senegal, rallying from a two-goal deficit to win in extra time, ESPN reported.

Monday’s meeting will be a rematch of a round-of-16 match in 2014, when Belgium defeated the U.S. 2-1 in extra time.

Balogun gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead with his third goal of the tournament in the 45th minute, The Athletic reported.

But he was sent off with a red card after colliding with Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic, ESPN reported.

After viewing video footage in slow motion, referee Raphael Claus of Brazil determined that Balogun had raked his cleats down Muharemovic’s leg and onto his foot and ankle. Claus then held up a red card, sending a shocked Balogun off the pitch, ESPN reported.

The decision cannot be appealed, so Balogun will miss Monday’s match.

That left the U.S. squad reduced to 10 players over the last 30 minutes of the match, according to The Athletic.

Despite pressure from the Bosnians, the Americans put the match away in the 82nd minute when Malik Tillman rifled a free kick into the net off the hands of Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj.

“It’s a shot I practice in training,” Tillman told reporters. “You never know when it’s going to happen, luckily it was today. I felt very confident, and I’m happy that it went in.”

Balogun is the fifth American to receive a red card at a World Cup, ESPN reported. He is also the first player from any country to score and receive a red card in the same knockout match since France‘s Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 final.

Wednesday’s victory was the U.S. squad’s first since defeating Mexico in 2002, The Associated Press reported.

© 2026 Cox Media Group