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This Monday, the round of 16 of the presents an electrifying doubleheader: the Iberian classic between Portugal and Spain in Dallas kicks off the action, followed by the showdown between United States and Belgium in Seattle, set against an unprecedented backdrop of controversy.
Portugal vs. Spain: the final that came too early
The AT&T Stadium in Dallas will host one of the most exciting matches ever seen in a World Cup knockout stage, featuring two teams that rank among the top contenders for the title.
Portugal arrives at the intersection with mixed feelings after the group stage: a draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan, and a goalless draw against Colombia forced them to qualify as the second in their group.
In the Round of 16, the Portuguese showed their character to eliminate Croatia 2-1, with the decisive goal from Gonçalo Ramos in the 90th minute and Cristiano Ronaldo as the key player from the penalty spot.
Spain, on the other hand, arrives in a state of grace.
La Roja finished first in Group H after defeating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, and in the round of 16 they dispatched Austria with a solid 3-0 victory, featuring a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal —who now has four goals in the tournament— and a goal from Pedro Porro.
The most recent encounter between both teams adds intrigue to the match: Portugal defeated Spain in the final of the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 on penalties after drawing 2-2 in regulation time.
United States vs. Belgium: Balogun's controversy sets the tone
Lumen Field in Seattle will be the venue for the second match of the day, with the host team looking to continue making history in front of their fans.
The team of Mauricio Pochettino topped their group by defeating Paraguay and Australia, and in the round of 32, they confidently beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0, with goals from Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman.
However, that match left a controversy that shook the tournament: Balogun received a direct red card in the 64th minute, but FIFA revoked the sanction after a personal call from President Donald Trump to the president of the organization, Gianni Infantino.
Trump celebrated the decision on Truth Social: "Thank you to FIFA for doing the right thing and reversing a great injustice."
Belgium's reaction to the revocation was one of astonishment: the Belgian Football Association cited Article 66.4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and announced that "all options" for appeal are being considered.
This is the first documented time in World Cup history that a president of the United States has directly intervened with FIFA to reverse a sanction against a player from his national team.
Belgium, for its part, arrives with high morale after an epic comeback against Senegal: it overcame a 2-0 deficit, equalized at the end of regulation time, and secured qualification in extra time with a penalty from Youri Tielemans.
With Romelu Lukaku as the offensive reference and the outrage over the Balogun controversy as extra motivation, the Red Devils arrive in Seattle ready to put a stop to the American dream.
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