Co-hosts are backed by a highly partisan crowd and Rudi Garcia’s side must silence the noise
When Belgium face USA in the World Cup last 16 in Seattle, they will be confronted by a loud and boisterous home crowd.
USA are co-hosts and naturally have the advantage of a highly partisan home crowd backing them. More than 70,000 fans watched each of the team’s two group games against Paraguay and Turkey. Nearly 67,000 watched the match against Australia in Seattle.
The home team have also duly milked this support, scoring in the first 10 minutes in all but one of their four games played so far to get the crowd going. Whoever faces USA will have to weather this disadvantage. There is a reason why home games in league matches are so valuable to teams. The home support can make a massive difference to team psychology, with fans regularly referred to as “the 12th man”.
Another large crowd is expected to back USA on Tuesday (01:00 BST) but Belgium players have dismissed suggestions the occasion would affect them. Indeed, Timothy Castagne believes the Belgian Red Devils can actually use the partisan crowd against their opponents. “As soon as it turns a little less good for them, they can also turn against them, and they will have more pressure,” Castagne said.
“I think we just have to show balls on the pitch,” said Maxim De Cuyper. “Try to play your own game. If you play against 80,000 supporters or with 80,000, you have to try to do the same.”
Full focus on #USABEL pic.twitter.com/SSIuq4lZKl
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) July 5, 2026
Part of keeping the game under control might need to involve preventing USA from scoring an early goal, which could get the crowd going. But Rudi Garcia’s side have not exactly been on the front foot in this tournament. They barely made it out of the group stages and needed an incredible turnaround to beat Senegal 3-2 in the round of 32 after going two goals down by the late stages.
They did beat USA 5-2 in a friendly in Atlanta in March, but that was long before the World Cup and both sides have followed wildly different trajectories. “They have been growing a lot since the last friendly game,” said Belgium’s Dodi Lukebakio, who scored twice in that match.
De Cuyper argued the scoreline exaggerated Belgium’s superiority and said the margin was thanks to goalkeeper Senne Lammens. “It was already being said back then that we might face USA at the World Cup,” he said. “Of course, many players weren’t there at the time.
“But it is an advantage that we have already seen them. We are taking things away from it. Although it remains to be seen how they present themselves.”
