The United States men’s national soccer team (USMNT) is close to reaching the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. They will encounter Belgium in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
Belgium has a record of thwarting the USMNT’s progress. During the 2014 World Cup, Belgium won against the U.S. with a score of 2-1 in the Round of 16. This past March, Belgium defeated the U.S. again, 5-2, in an international friendly match.
USMNT defender Alex Freeman remains calm despite Belgium’s past victories. Freeman, 21, shared his thoughts in an interview with Roger Bennett for ‘Men in Blazers.’ “We know the quality they have,” he said. “They’re a very quality team. They’ve been known for years. For us, it’s how we can stay to ourselves and know that we still want to play the way we want to play. Still be able to press a lot, control the ball a little bit, be able to be direct.”
Freeman mentioned he was “so young” during the 2014 defeat, though his older teammates might recall that match. “I think we just don’t feel like we want to bring it up, knowing that this is the game that we want a whole different impact on, a whole different result,” Freeman stated. “At the end of the day, i think we want revenge, not only for 2014, but for a couple of months ago when we lost to them. So, for us, it’s how can we get that revenge, and how can we go and get a win?”
Belgium and the USMNT will play the Round of 16 match in Seattle on Monday, July 6. For more insights, watch Freeman’s complete ‘Men in Blazers’ interview below.