What is the USMNT’s record against Belgium? All-time head-to-head meetings
In a World Cup warm-up today, the USMNT faces Belgium - a team the Stars and Stripes have not beaten for a long time.
Saturday’s international action sees all three hosts of the 2026 World Cup step into the spotlight, with showcases against European opponents.
Canada will be the first of the trio to take the field, hosting Iceland in a lunchtime kickoff in Toronto. Later, Mexico are due to round off the day’s play, taking on Portugal under the lights at the revamped Estadio Azteca.
And in between those games, the United States men’s national team (USMNT) faces an Atlanta clash against Belgium. It’s an opponent they’ve beaten only once in their history, back in the very first World Cup nearly a century ago.
The USMNT’s only win over Belgium
On July 13, 1930, the Americans secured a 3-0 group-stage win over Belgium, coming out on top thanks to goals by Bart McGhee, Tom Glorie and Bert Patenaude. The Uruguyan capital, Montevideo, bore witness to something that, 96 years on, has not happened again.
Three defeats on the spin
Belgium and the USMNT met again at the World Cup in 2014, in a knockout-stage clash in Brazil. But before then, the nations squared off twice in international friendlies, a pair of matches that produced seven goals in total.
In September 2011, King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels saw a strike from Nicolas Lombaerts earn Belgium a 1-0 victory. In May 2013, the teams then shared six goals in a friendly in the U.S., as the Belgians ran out 4-2 winners.
Belgium’s goals came courtesy of a brace from Christian Benteke, plus efforts from Marouane Fellaini and Kevin Mirallas. Geoff Cameron and Clint Dempsey replied for the Stars and Stripes.
Today, another chapter will be written in a matchup that, in its most recent edition, in July 2014, stretched all the way to extra time. After a goalless regulation 90, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku sealed a 2-1 Belgian triumph, knocking the USMNT out of the Brazil World Cup.
Julian Green pulled one back for the Americans, but it wasn’t enough to avoid elimination at the last-16 stage.
At a glance - every USMNT vs Belgium matchup:
- Jul. 2014: Belgium 2-1 USMNT, World Cup
- May 2013: USMNT 2-4 Belgium, friendly
- Sep. 2011: Belgium 1-0 USMNT, friendly
- Jul. 1930: USMNT 3-0 Belgium, World Cup
USMNT vs Belgium: kickoff times
Played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, the USMNT vs Belgium kicks off today, Saturday, Mar. 28, at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT. Viewers in the U.S. can find out where to tune in to the clash in this explainer.
You’ll be able to follow live-text coverage of the USMNT vs Belgium right here at AS USA. Will Gittins will be talking you through all the action in Georgia.
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