During the World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium, U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino observed the game. The match took place in Seattle on Monday, July 6, 2026.
FIFA suspended two staff members of the U.S. soccer team for the game. Team manager Sam Zapatka and Frank Pannell, vice president of security for the U.S. Soccer Federation, were affected by the suspension. FIFA did not provide reasons for the disciplinary action.
The U.S. Soccer Federation stated the suspension was not linked to the removal of forward Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension.
Sam Zapatka has served as the team’s administrative manager since 2020 and has been with the USSF since 2015.
In the round of 16, the U.S. team faced Belgium, suffering a 4-1 defeat, ending their World Cup journey.