After a dominant group stage with 8 goals and 2 wins, the USA national team will play its first World Cup knockout stage game on Wednesday. July 1, at 8 p.m. ET, from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
The USA will begin their path to the World Cup Final vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina — their first European opponent in the 2026 World Cup.
But who will the USA play next after Bosnia if they advance through the World Cup bracket? First up will be Belgium after their comeback win over Senegal.
Here's the simple answer: If the favorites advance through the bracket, USA’s World Cup path will include Belgium in the Round of 16, Spain in the quarterfinals, France in the semifinals, and Brazil or Argentina in the Final.
Below, we’ll go through every team in the USA World Cup path and their chances to advance to each, according to payouts on PrizePicks Team Picks — where you can predict World Cup teams to advance and cash in if you’re right!
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Note: Within this article, we’ll use the WorldCup2026Predictions.app to show the most likely opponents for France in each round.
USA World Cup Path to the Final: Bracket & Schedule
After winning Group D, the USA Men’s National Team is on to the World Cup Round of 32. Below, find the full schedule of USA World Cup games if they advance through the bracket.
- Round of 32: vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina – Wednesday, July 1 – 8 p.m. ET
- Round of 16: vs. Belgium – Monday, July 6, 8 p.m. ET
- Quarterfinals: Friday, July 10, 3 p.m. ET
- Possible Opponents: Portugal, Croatia, Spain, Austria
- Semifinals: Tuesday, July 14, 3 p.m. ET
- Possible Opponents: France, Morocco, Canada, Paraguay
- Finals: Sunday, July 19, 3 p.m. ET
- Likeliest Opponents: Argentina, Brazil, England, Mexico, Switzerland
Who Will USA Play in the Round of 32?
- Opponent: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Date: Wednesday, July 1, 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Levi’s Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium), Santa Clara, Calif.
- To Advance Payouts: USA 1.14x | Bosnia-Herzegovina 5x
- Spread: USA -1.5 (Yes - 1.96x)
- Total: 2.5 (Over - 1.58x | Under - 2.27x)
- Payouts via PrizePicks Team Picks — subject to change
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves with dreams of the World Cup Final — the United States still has to win its World Cup knockout stage game on Friday night vs. Bosnia. That’s something the Americans haven’t done since 2002.
USA is ranked No. 17 in the latest FIFA rankings, and No. 21 in ELO rankings; meanwhile, Bosnia is 64th and 45th, respectively.
Bosnia is a third-round finisher, qualifying with a -1 goal differential in Group A mostly due to a 4-1 loss vs. Switzerland, who scored on 4 of their 7 total shots on goal. Bosnia qualified thanks to the point from their 1-1 draw vs. Canada to open the tournament.
PrizePicks lists the USA with a 83% implied chance to advance vs. Bosnia today; the World Cup Predictor lists USA with an 89% chance to advance.
Who Will USA Play in the Next Game: Round of 16 vs. Belgium
- Opponent: Belgium
- Date: Monday, July 6, 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Lumen Field (Seattle Stadium), Seattle, Wash.
- USA To Qualify for Round of 16 Payouts: Yes 1.16x | No 4.76x
- Payouts via PrizePicks Team Picks — subject to change
Belgium will be the USA’s Round of 16 opponent after defeating Senegal in a dramatic comeback, coming back from down 2-0 to win in extra time on a late penalty kick.
And that provides an incredible opportunity for the Americans to get redemption.
USA fans will surely not forget the team’s last World Cup match vs. Belgium at the 2014 World Cup, which the Americans lost, 2-1, in extra time. Goalkeeper Tim Howard made his name with a 16-save performance, one of the most iconic performances in USMNT history — and still the single-game World Cup record.
While Belgium is at the tail end of their golden generation with Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, both have shown danger in their own ways — Lukaku with 2 goals off the bench, and KDB with 3 chances created per 90 (87th percentile). They also have Leandro Troussard to keep the pace moving forward, as he can both create chances (1.73 xA) and score (2 goals).
The Belgians will have plenty of momentum after a shocking comeback win vs. Senegal, scoring 2 goals in the final minutes of regulation, and the winning PK in extra time. Before that game, they had a field day with 5 goals vs. New Zealand. That win over the Kiwis isn’t a quality one, but it can build confidence for a Belgian side that struggled to see the ball in the back of the net in the first two games of the World Cup.
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Who Would USA Play in the World Cup Quarterfinals?
- Potential Opponent: Spain (68%) / Portugal (19%) / Croatia (9%) / Austria
- Date: Friday, July 10, 3 p.m. ET
- Location: SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles Stadium), Inglewood, Calif.
- USA To Qualify for Quarterfinals Payouts: Yes 1.85x | No 1.88x
- Payouts via PrizePicks Team Picks — subject to change
If the USA reaches the quarterfinals, they’re likely to run into a Spain team that may be hitting its stride with a healthy Lamine Yamal and one of the best midfields in the World Cup, led by Pedri and Rodri.
It’s the kind of midfield that could stagnate the USA offense that constantly has brought forward pressure from the midfield in Mauriricio Pochettino’s scheme. They’ve already shown they can be shutdown, too, with 0.5 xG combined across all group stage matches, keeping a clean sheet vs. Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay.
There’s also a chance they could find themselves in a matchup vs. a Portugal side that has disappointed in the World Cup, partly due to the poor play from an aging Cristiano Ronaldo. That said, Portugal would still be a tough matchup for the USA, whose last World Cup knockout stage win came against.
Regardless, an appearance in the quarterfinals will be historic for the United States, and should give this team great confidence on home soil vs. any team they face.
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Who Could USA Play in the World Cup Semifinals?
- Potential Opponent: France (71%) / Morocco (21%) / Canada (6%) / Paraguay
- Date: Tuesday, July 14, 3 p.m. ET
- Location: AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium), Arlington, Texas
- USA To Qualify for Quarterfinals Payouts: Yes 4.34x | No 1.17x
- Payouts via PrizePicks Team Picks — subject to change
With Round of 32 games at the top of the bracket wrapped up, we have a good idea of who USA could be facing in the World Cup Semifinals — and it’s still France.
The French have an absolutely loaded attack, averaging 3.3 goals per game (best in the World Cup) led by Kylian Mbappé and his World Cup-leading 6 goals (2 assists) and Ousmane Dembélé (4 goals, 2 assists), who poured in a first-half hat trick vs. Sweden.
Morocco is the only realistic team that could upset France that’s left in this quadrant; they have a potent defense, conceding just 4 goals across 4 games, and found a way to get thru Netherlands in the Round of 32. They also are coming off back-to-back World Cup semifinals appearances.
That said, it would be a massive upset if they can advance vs. a France side that is over 50% implied probability to advance to the Final.
The USA beat Morocco in an international friendly in 2022, in the lead up to Qatar, but otherwise, the USA has never beaten either of these teams. They’ve also never reached a World Cup Final — so this would be something special.
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Who Could USA Play in the World Cup Final?
- Potential Opponent: Argentina (40%), Brazil (20%), England (14%), Colombia (12%)
- Date: Sunday, July 19, 3 p.m. ET
- Location: MetLife Stadium (New York New Jersey Stadium), East Rutherford, NJ
- USA To Qualify for Quarterfinals Payouts: Yes 7.69x | No 1.05x
- Payouts via PrizePicks Team Picks — subject to change
If USA can find a way to make it through the gauntlet of what’s likely to be Spain and France, they’re likely to find themselves against South America’s finest: Argentina or Brazil.
Argentina has looked like the team to beat on their side of the bracket after winning the 2022 World Cup; Lionel Messi is averaging 2.7 goals per 90 minutes, and the defense has only surrendered one goal, with the B-team playing vs. Jordan.
An England matchup in the World Cup Final would surely write their own headlines in the month of America’s 250th birthday. Surprisingly, the USA has never lost to England in the World Cup, with one win and two draws, including a 0-0 draw at the 2022 World Cup.
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The USMNT had an incredible group stage run that won’t soon be forgotten. But now it’s real; now it’s kill or be killed in the World Cup knockout bracket.
After two very winnable games in the Round of 32 and 16, the heat will be on for USA if they can advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face Spain and young superstar Lamine Yamal. And it only gets tougher from there, with a potential matchup with France and Kylian Mbappe.
In good news, the Americans will play every game of their World Cup path on home soil, across five different stadiums.
You can make your World Cup predictions on how far USA or other teams will advance in the knockout stage on PrizePicks Team Picks — available in 35 states!
Stay locked in on Playbook for daily World Cup 2026 predictions, picks, news, and analysis through the World Cup Final.
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