The United States has spent the last two weeks building belief. Now comes the part of the World Cup where belief no longer matters.

Mauricio Pochettino’s squad did exactly what it needed to do in the group stage, crushing Paraguay 4-1 before shutting out Australia 2-0 to clinch first place in Group D under FIFA’s new head-to-head tiebreaker.

A heavily rotated lineup then dropped a 3-2 thriller to Turkey in a match that meant little beyond preserving legs for the knockout rounds.

Everything now points toward Wednesday night at Levi’s Stadium.

The Americans’ opponent, Bosnia and Herzegovina, is hardly the underdog many casual fans believe it to be. The Dragons earned their place in the World Cup by stunning Italy and knocking off Wales. They also defeated Austria and Romania during qualifying. That resume alone should erase any temptation for the Americans to look ahead.

But if the Americans do survive their first knockout test, then their next opponent is one of four teams that would be ready and waiting.

The Round of 16 at Lumen Field in Seattle on July 6 will be one of four familiar opponents for the United States. Based on current FIFA World Rankings, here’s how they stack up from the most favorable draw to the biggest nightmare.

1. South Korea (No. 31)

The Americans fell 2-0 to South Korea in September 2025, although that U.S. lineup looked nothing like Pochettino’s starting group. South Korea remains dangerous, but this is probably the matchup Team USA would welcome most.

2. Algeria (No. 29)

No American fan will ever forget Landon Donovan’s dramatic stoppage-time winner against Algeria at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The nations have met only once, making this the freshest and most unpredictable matchup of the four.

3. Senegal (No. 18)

The U.S. defeated Senegal 3-2 in a friendly on May 31 in North Carolina, ending Christian Pulisic’s lengthy scoring drought. Senegal’s athleticism and pace create problems for everyone, but recent success should give the Americans confidence.

4. Belgium (No. 10)

This is the opponent nobody in red, white and blue wants to see. Belgium dismantled the United States 5-2 in Atlanta on March 28, then finally found its rhythm with a 5-1 demolition of New Zealand in its World Cup group finale. The Red Devils suddenly look like a sleeping giant that’s wide awake.

Of course, Belgium also carries plenty of emotional baggage for American soccer fans.

The last World Cup meeting between these two countries came in the Round of 16 in Brazil in 2014. The Red Devils escaped with a 2-1 victory that saw Tim Howard produce one of the greatest goalkeeping performances in World Cup history, making a record 16 saves in a losing effort.

That memory still lingers, but so does the opportunity ahead.

If Team USA can dispatch Bosnia and Herzegovina, Seattle suddenly becomes the next stop on a World Cup journey that will have the momentum of the whole country behind them. Whether the opponent is South Korea, Algeria, Senegal or Belgium, there will be no easy game from here, but the Americans will have the home field advantage.