United States beats Bosnia, reaches World Cup knockout stage

The United States beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in Santa Clara, California, and moved into the World Cup knockout stage, joining Mexico and Canada in a round of 16 played on North American soil. Folarin Balogun scored for the U.S. before being shown a straight red card in the 64th minute after a video review, but Mauricio Pochettino said the team showed unity to protect the lead with 10 men.

The result carried a sharp historical edge for the Americans. It was their first World Cup knockout victory in 24 years, and it sends the U.S. into a July 6 meeting with Belgium in Seattle, where the next stage will test whether this group can turn a home-tournament breakthrough into a deeper run.

Elsewhere in the bracket, Belgium produced one of the most dramatic recoveries of the tournament, rallying from 2-0 down against Senegal in Seattle to win 3-2 in extra time. Senegal led through Habib Diarra in the 24th minute and Ismaila Sarr in the 51st, but Romelu Lukaku pulled one back in the 86th minute, Youri Tielemans equalized in the 89th and then converted the decisive penalty in the 125th minute.

England also advanced with a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Atlanta. Brian Cipenga put Congo DR ahead in the 7th minute, but Harry Kane responded with goals in the 75th and 86th minutes, and his double lifted him past Pelé on the World Cup’s all-time scoring list. Thomas Tuchel said England did not accept defeat as an option, a tone that matched the late push from a team that refused to fade.

The 2026 World Cup is the first to feature 48 teams, 104 matches and three host countries, and the presence of the U.S., Mexico and Canada in the knockout stage gives the expanded tournament a distinctly regional shape. For the United States, the win over Bosnia was more than a first-step result, because it arrived in a field that already includes Belgium, England and the other heavyweights still standing.