England, Belgium and United States reach round of 16 with doubts

England, Belgium and the United States all reached the round of 16, but none did it like a team that had already solved the hard part of the tournament. England needed two goals from Harry Kane to get past the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belgium survived Senegal on a penalty in the final minute, and the United States beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 after Folarin Balogun scored and then was sent off, with Malik Tillman also on the sheet.

For England, the result covered up a familiar warning sign: the attack still bends too heavily around Kane. FIFA’s review of the match said England woke up late against Congo DR, and that is a dangerous habit in knockout football, where one slow spell can turn a favored side into a team trying to recover instead of impose itself. Kane’s brace was enough here, but England did not produce the kind of layered, reliable attack that serious contenders usually need when the margin narrows.

Belgium’s escape looked even shakier. The winner came on a last-minute penalty against Senegal, a finish that FIFA described as part of one of the most epic comebacks in World Cup history. That kind of rescue can energize a squad, but it also exposes a problem that can decide elimination games: Belgium can still be dragged into a match it has to save rather than control. Against a more ruthless opponent, there may not be time for another late reprieve.

The United States at least won by two goals, yet the performance carried its own cost. Balogun scored before being expelled, and he will miss the next match through suspension, removing one of the USMNT’s finishers just as the bracket tightens. Tillman’s goal helped settle Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the red card underscored a discipline issue that can swing a knockout tie in one moment. The Americans now face Belgium in Seattle, with a place in the quarterfinals on the line.

Jozy Altidore has kept the optimism high from outside the squad. In May 2026, the former U.S. striker, who played in two World Cups, scored 42 goals in 115 appearances for the United States, and said, “I think this team can win a World Cup.” That belief now meets a blunt test against Belgium, a side that has already shown how thin the line is between advancing and surviving.