2026 World Cup Round of 16 Highlights: Portugal vs. Spain and USA vs. Belgium

Portugal Faces Spain in a Crucial Round of 16 Match

The Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup comes to a close with two intense fixtures, including the highly anticipated clash between Portugal and Spain. Both teams arrived as tournament favorites but encountered some challenges during the group stage. Despite these struggles, they managed to advance by defeating tough opponents: Portugal overcame Croatia, while Spain triumphed over Austria.

Spain’s performance stood out for its strength and control, while Portugal’s victory was secured by a late VAR intervention that nullified a Croatian equalizer just in time. Pedro Neto has been a key figure for Portugal, starting every match so far and contributing an assist.

Date / Time: Monday, July 6, 2026, at 3pm EDT / 8pm BST
Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, USA
Referee: Anthony Taylor from the USA
Broadcast: FOX, Telemundo (USA); BBC One (UK)
Streaming: FOX One, Peacock (USA); BBC iPlayer (UK)

USA Takes on Belgium in a High-Stakes Encounter

The final Round of 16 match features USA against Belgium, a game loaded with history and expectation. A major talking point is that striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension has been unexpectedly lifted, allowing him to play. Such FIFA decisions are rare but not unheard of; similar exceptions were made in 1962 for Garrincha and more recently for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The US team seeks payback for their 2014 Round of 16 defeat to Belgium, which ended in extra time despite outstanding goalkeeping from Tim Howard. The atmosphere promises to be electric as the hosts aim to advance further on home soil.