USMNT humiliated 5-2 by Belgium in World Cup prelude

Just months away from hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the USMNT came to Atlanta for two international friendlies against national teams ranked amongst the 10 best on the planet. The first of those was a disaster.

The USMNT suffered a brutal 5-2 defeat against No. 9 globally ranked Belgium at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, a worrying embarrassment mere months away from this summer’s tournament.

Goalkeeper Matt Turner returned to the starting lineup for the first time since June 2025 behind a back four of Antonee Robinson, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, and Tim Weah. Johnny Cardoso and Tanner Tessman formed the midfield double pivot while Weston McKennie pulled the strings at the No. 10 spot. Finally, the front three was made up of Malik Tillman, Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic.

Although Weston McKennie failed to score earlier in the match after chesting down a corner kick delivery inside the box, he made no mistake when the opportunity came back around in the 39th minute. Antonee Robinson’s service into the box was met first time by the Juventus midfielder to give USA a 1-0 lead.

Not long after, Belgium struck back to make the game level just before halftime. After Turner made an impressive save, Zeno Debast rocketed a shot into the bottom corner. The Red Devils had been attempting to score with shots from similar distances throughout the match, and they were finally rewarded on this occasion.

Belgium repeated the trick in the 53rd minute to take the lead. The ball rolled to Amadou Onana at the top of the box before the Aston Villa defender blasted it into the bottom corner to put the visitors in front. This came just seconds after USA wasted a golden opportunity at the other end, where Pulisic dribbled into the heart of the penalty area before sending a wild shot into the stands.

Affairs only got bleaker for the Stars and Stripes when the Red Devils were awarded a penalty kick for a handball inside the box against Tim Ream. Although the decision went to a VAR check, the on-field call was confirmed, and Charles De Ketelaere converted the spot kick in the 59th minute to extend the visitors’ lead.

At this point, Belgium was flying away with the game, but showed no signs of stopping. They got the goal for 4-1 when Dodi Lukebakio dribbled calmly into the box before releasing a sensational shot that curled into the top corner. The individual quality of the Benfica winger was an obvious factor, but the poor defending from the USMNT allowed him to easily get into a shooting position.

The final nail in the coffin came in the 82nd minute when Lukebakio got his second of the match. After driving into the box and laying off a forward pass, he picked up a poorly deflected cutback cross to make it 5-1 for Belgium.

Patrick Agyemang grabbed a second for the USMNT in the 87th minute after Belgium turned the ball over trying to build up from the back. Down 5-2, this late goal came as little more than a consolation.

With that, the merciless beatdown ended. There’s really not much to say other than the fact that the gap in quality between the two sides was night and day. Belgium was superior in every aspect, especially in the second half.

The USMNT will look to bounce back when it returns to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday, March 31, to take on Portugal. That match will kick off at 7 pm EST.