What happened at the World Cup on July 1, 2026?
The host nation survived a scare and the drama kept coming. The USA beat Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0 despite playing more than half an hour with 10 men, setting up a Round of 16 tie with Belgium — who beat Senegal 3-2 on a Youri Tielemans penalty in the 125th minute, the latest goal in World Cup history. Harry Kane scored twice as England edged DR Congo 2-1.
- 1The USA beat Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0 despite a Folarin Balogun red card, playing over 30 minutes with 10 men; Malik Tillman added a late free kick.[1]
- 2Belgium came from 2-0 down to beat Senegal 3-2, with Tielemans scoring a 125th-minute penalty — the latest goal in World Cup history.[2]
- 3Harry Kane scored twice as England beat DR Congo 2-1, with a header and a winner in the 86th minute.[3]
- 4The USA will face Belgium in the Round of 16.[4]
- 5All three winners — USA, Belgium and England — advanced to the last 16.[4]
1. USA survive with 10 men — and set up a clash with Belgium
Nerves and heroics at Levi's Stadium. The USA led through Folarin Balogun just before halftime, but when Balogun was shown a controversial red card in the 64th minute, the co-hosts had to defend for more than half an hour a man down. They didn't just hold on — they added a stunning late free kick from Malik Tillman to win 2-0. The USA are into the Round of 16, where a blockbuster with Belgium awaits. For a casual fan: this is the kind of backs-to-the-wall win that makes a nation believe.
2. Belgium's record-breaking comeback
The wildest game of the day. Belgium were 2-0 down to Senegal — Habib Diarra and Ismaïla Sarr had put the Africans in control — before Romelu Lukaku pulled one back in the 86th minute and Youri Tielemans equalized in the 89th to force extra time. Then, in the 125th minute, Tielemans converted a penalty to win it 3-2 — the latest goal ever scored in World Cup history. Belgium live to fight another day, and now face the USA.
3. Harry Kane, the hero once again
England needed their captain, and he delivered. With England and DR Congo level, Harry Kane headed an equalizer in the 75th minute and then curled in a twisting winner in the 86th to seal a 2-1 victory. Fresh off becoming England's all-time World Cup top scorer, Kane is now dragging the Three Lions through the knockouts on his own. England are into the Round of 16 and looking dangerous.
4. USA vs Belgium is the tie to watch
Wednesday's results set up a mouth-watering Round of 16 clash: the host USA against a Belgium side that just showed extraordinary resilience. It's a matchup full of storylines — home crowd energy versus a talented, battle-hardened European team riding a wave of belief after their comeback. For American fans, it's the biggest men's national team game on home soil in a generation.
5. A stat worth sharing
Tielemans' 125th-minute penalty for Belgium is now officially the latest goal ever scored in a men's World Cup match — a fitting symbol of a knockout stage that refuses to be dull. Add in the USA winning with 10 men and Kane's late double, and Wednesday was a reminder that in tournament football, it's never over until the final whistle. And sometimes not even then.
What to Watch Today
The Round of 32 wraps up, including Argentina vs Cape Verde and Spain vs Austria. Key kickoffs run roughly 12:00 PM / 3:00 PM / 6:00 PM ET — about 1:00 AM / 4:00 AM / 7:00 AM JST and KST the next morning. Check worldcupexplain.com for the full bracket and schedule in your time zone.
Key Takeaways
- The USA won with 10 men to reach the Round of 16.
- Belgium's Tielemans scored the latest goal in World Cup history.
- Harry Kane's late double carried England through.
- World Cup: USA advances despite losing Balogun to red card; England and Belgium also advance — Yahoo Sports(accessed 2026-07-02)
- Belgium 3-2 Senegal (AET): Youri Tielemans completes comeback with latest goal in World Cup history — Opta Analyst(accessed 2026-07-02)
- England 2-1 DR Congo: Harry Kane double sends Three Lions through — ESPN(accessed 2026-07-02)
- World Cup Round of 32 live updates: USA holds off Bosnia and Herzegovina; England, Belgium survive — Yahoo Sports(accessed 2026-07-02)