United States Routed by Belgium Ahead of World Cup

Rudi Garcia's Belgium squad defeats Mauricio Pochettino's 'Team USA' 5-2 in Atlanta, 75 days before the start of the 2026 World Cup.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 11:40pm

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The United States men's national soccer team, led by Argentinian coach Mauricio Pochettino, suffered a 5-2 defeat against Belgium in a friendly match played in Atlanta on Saturday. The loss comes just 75 days before the start of the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Mexico and Canada.

Why it matters

The lopsided defeat raises concerns about the U.S. team's readiness for the upcoming World Cup, where they are drawn into a seemingly favorable Group D with Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of the Kosovo-Turkey playoff. The match served as a reality check for the Americans, who were expected to perform well on home soil.

The details

The U.S. started the match well, with Weston McKennie scoring the opening goal in the 39th minute. However, Belgium, led by midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, took control of the game and scored five unanswered goals. Defender Zeno Debast, midfielder Amadou Onana, and forward Charles de Ketelaere were among the scorers for the Red Devils, while Dodi Lukébakio added a brace. The U.S. managed to pull one back late in the game through Patrick Agyemang, but the damage had already been done.

  • The match was played on Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.
  • The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to begin 75 days after this match, with the U.S. as one of the co-hosts.

The players

Mauricio Pochettino

The Argentinian coach of the United States men's national soccer team.

Rudi Garcia

The coach of the Belgian national team, known as the Red Devils.

Kevin de Bruyne

The star midfielder for the Belgian national team.

Weston McKennie

The American midfielder who scored the opening goal for the U.S. team.

Patrick Agyemang

The American player who scored the late goal for the U.S. team.

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What they’re saying

“We need matches against great teams to arrive at the World Cup at our best level. We could make the mistake of seeing ourselves as too beautiful, 'we Americans are strong'. It's good to have confidence but if we want to win the World Cup we have to get through the first round, and you think that Paraguay is not going to fight?”

— Mauricio Pochettino, Head Coach, United States Men's National Team

“We need matches against great teams to arrive at the World Cup at our best level.”

— Mauricio Pochettino, Head Coach, United States Men's National Team

What’s next

The United States will face Portugal in another friendly match on Tuesday, April 8, 2026, again in Atlanta, Georgia.

The takeaway

This lopsided defeat serves as a wake-up call for the U.S. men's national team, reminding them that they have work to do to be truly competitive on the world stage, even as the host nation of the 2026 World Cup. The team will need to regroup and address the defensive lapses that were exposed by the talented Belgian squad.