USA's Pulisic, England's Bellingham In the World Cup Spotlight For Match Day 21
The knockout round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup rolls on, and Wednesday will see three more teams advance and three more teams exit the tournament after the round of 32. In the opening game, contending England will hope to end the Cinderella run of the DR Congo when the teams face off in Atlanta.
The second game takes us to Vancouver, Canada, where Belgium and Senegal are both coming off five-goal blowout wins in their respective group stage finales.
Finally, co-hosts the United States will return to action at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium and look for just its second-ever knockout win when it hosts a Bosnia and Herzegovina team that will be a challenge with its youthful roster.
Here is everything you need to know for Wednesday at the World Cup.
When: Wednesday, July 1, 12 p.m. ET
Where: Atlanta
TV: FOX
Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One
Contenders England take on one of the tournament’s fairytale stories in the DR Congo.
England entered the World Cup as one of the teams with a realistic chance of winning the title. Thus far, it's been decent but hasn’t played like a superpower along the lines of France, Spain or Argentina. The Three Lions were at their best in the second half of their opening 4-2 win over Croatia. After that, it was pedestrian efforts in a 0-0 draw with Ghana followed by a 2-0 win over Panama where the English needed 62 minutes before getting on the board.
England has plenty of firepower offensively with one of the game’s best center forwards in Harry Kane, a deep selection of wing options that includes Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham in the middle.
The biggest concern for England’s starting lineup is at right back, as both Reece James and Jarell Quansah are sidelined due to injuries. That leaves Djed Spence likely to slide over the right side in the starting XI.
The question for head coach Thomas Tuchel is whether he can get his team playing with intensity from the opening whistle. That was not the case in the last two games, when England was also heavily favored.
DR Congo is enjoying a lot of support from neutral fans in the United States as the country participates in its first World Cup since 1974. The Leopards secured a surprising knockout berth as one of the best third-placed teams after holding Portugal to a draw and staging a thrilling 3-1 comeback victory over Uzbekistan. The team’s only defeat came in a 1-0 loss to Colombia.
Sébastien Desabre’s squad will be highly motivated for this game, as the team boasts significant Premier League experience. This includes Newcastle United attacker Yoane Wissa, who has been the team’s star thus far at the World Cup with three goals in the group stage.
DR Congo is expected to bring a highly physical but disciplined approach to this game. The team will sit deep in a compact formation, most likely the 5-3-2 it used against Portugal, and look to break out quickly on counterattacks.
England is the heavy favorite, but games like this can be tricky as England is under enormous pressure to advance, while the DR Congo likely sees this game as a massive opportunity with nothing to lose.
Player To Watch
The Real Madrid playmaker was the Man of the Match in the 2-0 win over Panama on Saturday while playing in a deeper role. With Declan Rice expected to return to the starting XI, Bellingham's role will shift to focus on breaking down DR Congo’s low block. He will be looking to find pockets of space to open the game up for Kane, or the winger on either side. With Kane likely to be heavily guarded, Bellingham will also serve as a secondary scoring threat for England.
When: Wednesday, July 1, 4 p.m. ET
Where: Seattle
TV: FS1
Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One
Wednesday’s second game takes us to Vancouver Stadium in Canada, with Belgium and Senegal in what will be the first-ever competitive meeting between the two teams.
Belgium and Senegal enter this game with similar group stage patterns. Both were underwhelming in the two opening games but then secured a spot in the knockouts with a blowout win in the finale against the weakest team in the group.
For Senegal, it was never going to be an easy path after getting drawn into a group with France and Norway. As expected, Senegal lost to France, 3-1, and then to Norway, 3-2, when, like most teams, it was unable to stop two of the best players in the world in Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. But with eight third-place teams advancing to the knockouts, the door for Senegal was still open if it could beat Iraq, which it did, 5-0.
For Belgium, the group stage was more disappointing because the Red Devils were never an underdog. Following a lackluster beginning of the tournament in a 1-1 draw with Egypt followed by a 0-0 draw with Iran, Rudi Garcia’s team finally was able to play up to its potential in a 5-1 blowout win over New Zealand, the lowest-ranked team at the World Cup in the FIFA World Rankings.
The Red Devils lineup should have few surprises. Kevin De Bruyne remains the creative heartbeat in midfield, and he is flanked by top wingers in Manchester City’s Jérémy Doku and Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard. The biggest question for Garcia is at center forward, as Charles De Ketelaere started two of the group stage games and Romelu Lukaku has started once. Neither player was particularly convincing.
For Senegal, head coach Pape Thiaw relies heavily on his team’s athleticism in the attack. Crystal Palace’s Ismaïla Sarr scored three goals in the group stage, Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye made a big impact against Iraq, and veteran captain Sadio Mané remains the heart of the team despite not scoring in the group stage.
The big concern for Senegal is that star goalkeeper Edouard Mendy will miss the game due to a knee injury. Le Havre goalkeeper Mory Diaw is expected to start in his place.
Belgium is the favorite in this game based on its talent, experience and recent form (the Red Devils have not lost in 16 games). But Senegal is capable of pulling off an upset and, as we have seen, this tournament has not been kind to favored European teams.
Player To Watch
The Villarreal midfielder was excellent in the 5-0 win over Iraq. After subbing into the game in the 56th minute, Gueye had two goals and an assist to complete the rout, which was needed in the goal differential tiebreaker. That effort off the bench will likely see Gueye return to the team’s starting lineup, but only now should he be extremely confident of his form.
When: Wednesday, July 1, 8 p.m. ET
Where: San Francisco Bay Area
TV: FOX
Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One
United States returns to the field to take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 in what should be an electric pro-USA crowd at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium during the nightcap.
After earning six points from its group stage with wins over Paraguay and Australia along with a loss to Türkiye, many will view the U.S. team as favorites in this game. But historical factors tell a different story for Mauricio Pochettino’s team.
Starting with the 1990 World Cup, the U.S. national team’s record against European teams in this tournament is abysmal. With the loss to Türkiye last week, the USA has now faced European teams 21 times in the World Cup. During that span, the team has won just once, in the 3-2 win over Portugal in its 2002 opener. Meanwhile, the team has drawn seven times while having lost 13 times.
On the issue of knockouts, since 1990, the U.S. team has won just one World Cup knockout while having lost five.
The good news for Pochettino’s team is that its entire starting lineup from the 4-1 win over Paraguay is now healthy and ready for selection. That includes Christian Pulisic, who missed the win over Australia due to a calf injury, as well as Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards, who did not play against Türkiye to avoid the risk of a yellow card suspension for this game.
Offensively, the keys for the U.S. team involve winger Christian Pulisic and his ability to dribble at opponents to open space for his teammates. Meanwhile, Folarin Balogun was very dangerous in the first two games. If teammates can get him the ball, he is a lethal finisher. The midfield trio of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman will look to control possession and dictate the tempo.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be an easy test for the U.S. team by any stretch. Sergej Barbarez's team boasts a nicely blended roster that includes experience and youthful energy. Both were on display in the team's 3-1 win over Qatar to clinch the team's spot in the knockouts. Salzburg left midfielder Kerim Alajbegovic, 18, was the best player on the field in that game and his highlight came in scoring the opening goal. Ermin Mahmic, 21, was also important off the bench when he scored the final goal.
Then there is PSV Eindhoven winger Esmir Bajraktarević, 21, who will be getting a lot of attention in this game given that he was born and raised in Wisconsin. He began his professional career with the New England Revolution and played for years with the U.S. youth national teams before switching to Bosnia and Herzegovina (where his parents were born) in 2024.
On the other side of the age equation, the team's all-time leading scorer in Edin Džeko remains key to Bosnia's offense. In the win over Qatar, Džeko was very active as his header forced Qatar’s own goal in the 34th minute. Then just before halftime, he nearly scored when his shot smashed off the post.
This should be an emotional game with both teams looking to win what would be a historically important victory for their national team programs. The U.S. team wants to notch a win that would inspire a new generation of fans to fall in love with the sport and the team. Bosnia and Herzegovina is looking to win its first ever World Cup knockout game with a roster that consists of many exciting young players.
Player To Watch
The Juventus midfielder is extremely important to the U.S. team. When he plays well, the team plays well. When he doesn’t, the team struggles. He is a unique and special player when he is in good form. He can play a variety of positions, often shifting during a single game. He can dribble, and can pass, and he can use his size to his advantage. In the early parts of this tournament, McKennie was at his best – and there should be no reason to expect anything else in this game.