Belgium and the United States have earned their place in the round of 16 and will meet in Seattle. The Red Devils staged an incredible comeback, trailing 2-0 against Senegal with 10 minutes remaining and pushing the match into extra time, where they converted a penalty to make it 3-2.
The Stars and Stripes, who had been ahead at half-time thanks to a defensive blunder by Bosnia and Herzegovina, found themselves a man down midway through the second half but managed to maintain their advantage, doubling their lead from a free kick ten minutes from time.
The outcome of the match between Senegal and Belgium was incredible, with the Africans literally dominating for 80 minutes, with Garcia's team slow and ineffective. Lukaku's introduction boosted the attack and sparked a comeback, scoring with a run at the near post. Then, the Senegal goalkeeper's mistimed exit allowed Belgian captain Tielemans to head in a cross from Leandro Trossard, with whom he had had a heated argument just minutes earlier. During stoppage time in the second half of extra time, an incident in the Senegalese penalty area prompted the referee and VAR to award Tielemans a penalty, converting his second goal, allowing Belgium to advance.
In the press conference, Rudi Garcia credited the team for not giving up: "We showed that anything is possible. We had the patience to turn the game around. The quality of the group made the difference. Everyone who came off the bench made the difference, and I'm really happy," the coach declared.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, which blocked the Italian national team's World Cup path, emerged victorious against the USA, who won with a goal in each half and successfully managed to overcome a man-counter deficit from the 20th minute of the second half. Mauricio Pochettino's team dominated the match, taking the lead in the 45th minute through striker Folarin Balogun, his third goal of the World Cup. However, the Monaco striker committed a bad foul in a duel with Muharemovic, and the referee sent him off after a VAR review. American spirit, combined with clarity and unity, allowed the hosts to control the situation. Bosnia and Herzegovina fired shots from distance but failed to find the target, while the USA doubled their lead in the 82nd minute thanks to a free kick from Malik Tillman.
