US would face Spain in 2026 World Cup quarterfinal - if it gets past Belgium

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FOX Local
Published July 6, 2026 7:22 PM EDT

Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain shoots and misses a chance against Renato Veiga #13 and Bruno Fernandes #8 of Portugal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 06, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Phot …

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The Brief

    • If the USMNT defeat Belgium to advance to the quarterfinals, they would face off with a soccer powerhouse.
    • The quarterfinal game is set for Friday, July 10, at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
    • With a win, the US would be making its first quarterfinal appearance since 2002, and only its second since 1930.

With a win over Belgium, the United States will have made it as deep into this year’s World Cup as they have since they made the semifinals in the very first one. 

The men’s team does not want to be satisfied with that. But they now know that the road to the semifinals, if they defeat Belgium, goes through a soccer powerhouse.

Lamine Yamal and Spain came into the tournament as one of the favorites to win it all. They sit behind only France and Argentina in the FIFA rankings and made it through the group stage and past Austria in their Round of 32 match without giving up a goal. 

With a blend of youth and experience at every position, as well as the 18-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, the Spanish team has its sights set on hoisting the World Cup for the first time since 2010.

When would the USA play Spain?

TGIF! The US vs Spain game would be set for Friday, July 10, but you may need to ask the boss if it is okay to start the weekend a little early. The match will kick off at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT.

Where would the USA play?

The US would return to California and Los Angeles Stadium for the quarterfinals match. The team opened the tournament there, notching their first victory, with a 4-1 win against Paraguay. 

How to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026

Outside of watching FOX on live broadcast TV, there are several options audiences can choose from to enjoy the soccer matches. 

One free option is through FIFA+ and select YouTube streams. 

Other paid options include:

FOX Sports World Cup coverage

FIFA World Cup 2026 

For 2026, the FIFA World Cup expanded to a 48-team tournament featuring 104 matches taking place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

The 48 teams were divided into 12 groups of four with each team playing its group stage opponents for a total of three first-round games per side.

Following the conclusion of the first round, 16 teams were eliminated from the tournament with the rest moving forward to the Round of 32.

FIFA World Cup Round of 32

The FIFA World Cup Round of 32 is new this year due to the tournament expanding to 48 teams. It runs from June 28 to July 3, and features 32 teams playing 16 single-elimination matches with the winners moving on to the Round of 16. 

FIFA World Cup Round of 16

The FIFA World Cup Round of 16 is a single-elimination knockout stage with the final 16 teams. It runs from July 4 to July 7.  The match winners advance to the Quarterfinals, with the losing teams eliminated from the tournament. 

What are the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 rules?

The match is played for 90 minutes of play, plus any stoppage time.  If tied after the end of regulation time, the teams play 30 minutes of extra time which is split into two 15-minute halves.  If the match remains tied after the 30 minutes of extra time, the teams advance to a penalty shootout to determine who moves on. 

FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals

The FIFA World Cup quarterfinals is the tournament's final-eight stage, with the winners of the Round of 16 facing off in four single-elimination matches with the winners moving on to the semi-finals and the losing team eliminated. The FIFA World Cup quarterfinals run from July 9–11.

What are the FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals rules?

The FIFA World Cup quarterfinals rules are the same as the Round of 16 rules.  Each match is played for 90 minutes of play, plus any stoppage time.  If tied after the end of regulation time, the teams play 30 minutes of extra time, which is split into two 15-minute halves.  If the match remains tied after the 30 minutes of extra time, the teams advance to a penalty shootout to determine who moves on. 

FIFA World Cup semi-finals

The FIFA World Cup semi-finals stage of the tournament features the final four teams playing in a single-elimination match with the two winning teams advancing to the World Cup Final championship.  The two losing teams face each other in a separate 2026 FIFA World Cup Third-Place Playoff (Bronze Final) match taking place on July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

What are the FIFA World Cup semi-finals rules?

The FIFA World Cup quarterfinals rules are the same as both the Round of 32 and Round of 16 rules. Each match is played for 90 minutes of play, plus any stoppage time.  If tied after the end of regulation time, the teams play 30 minutes of extra time, which is split into two 15-minute halves.  If the match remains tied after the 30 minutes of extra time, the teams advance to a penalty shootout to determine who moves on.

When is the FIFA World Cup 2026 final? 

A general view of MetLife Stadium ahead of the 2026 World Cup at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

Timeline:

The FIFA World Cup 2026 final will take place July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the culmination of a month-long tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

The Source: Information for this story was provided by FOX Sports and FIFA. This story was reported from Orlando.

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