The 2026 World Cup has already delivered its share of chaos. Erling Haaland sent Brazil packing. England finally survived a red card and won a knockout game. And now we get the Round of 16 matchup that everyone’s either hyped about or angry about depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on.
Folarin Balogun is back. After FIFA rescinded his red card following a bizarre super-slow-motion review that even the rulebook says isn’t allowed, the USMNT striker will lead the line against Belgium in Seattle. Donald Trump got involved somehow, and the European soccer commentariat is furious about it. They’ll be even madder when Balogun scores tonight.
Let’s be real about what this game actually is. Two pretty evenly matched teams. The USMNT playing its best ball under Mauricio Pochettino. A chance to finally get over that hump against European competition in a World Cup. If you’re looking for a statement win, this is it.
Here’s what else matters on Day 26.
Portugal vs. Spain is the real heavyweight fight
Cristiano Ronaldo made it official. At 41 years old, this World Cup is his last. Nobody’s surprised, but the announcement still lands like a thud. The end of an era and all that. But his Portugal teammates have a chance to send him out with a quarterfinal run.
Standing in the way is Spain. The defending Euro champions haven’t looked like world-beaters yet. A 3-0 win over Austria in the Round of 32 sounds impressive until you remember it was Austria. Mikel Oyarzabal bagged a brace in that one and maybe Spain turned a corner. Or maybe they just played a bad team.
Portugal is different. More talented. More dangerous. And this is a rivalry game with no love lost. The winner gets whoever comes out of USA-Belgium and a legit path to the semifinals. That’s everything.
Spain needs to show up for real
France has done its part. Cruised through the group stage, handled Paraguay professionally in the Round of 32. They look like a champion. Spain was supposed to be the other true contender, and so far they’ve looked more like a team that’s still figuring it out.
This is the game where that changes or it doesn’t. Portugal won’t let them sleepwalk. And if Spain can get through this test with the same ease they showed against Austria, then yeah, we might have our second real contender. If they don’t? Then it’s France’s tournament to lose and everyone else is just waiting for a turn to get beat.
The Balogun drama won’t matter after kickoff
For all the noise about a red card being overturned, about Trump making calls, about FIFA bending rules — none of that matters once the whistle blows. This is a soccer game between two teams good enough to beat each other. The USMNT has the talent. Belgium has the history. The controversy will be a footnote in a few hours, just like the similar Cristiano Ronaldo ruling that nobody talks about anymore.
Balogun is going to play. He’s going to score. And everyone arguing about it right now will be arguing about something else by the time the final whistle hits the Seattle night.
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