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Belgium crush United States 5-2 in Atlanta as Dodi Lukebakio stars and Weston McKennie and Patrick Agyemang score consolations before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Belgium register a runaway 5-2 win over the United States in their international friendly (AP)
The United States were routed 5-2 by Belgium on Saturday in a humbling defeat for Mauricio Pochettino’s team as they prepare to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup even as both teams wore similar kits in Atlanta.
The thrashing serves as a wake-up call just 75 days before the tournament for the Americans, who, after a good run of recent results, were found severely lacking once again when facing top European opposition.
“I see this as a good reality check for us, because now is the moment to feel this type of situation, to improve,” said Pochettino.
“We need to improve, of course,” he added.
The US took an early lead against the world’s ninth-ranked team, with Weston McKennie slotting home to the delight of a packed 67,000-strong Atlanta crowd.
But the Americans, aware that their chances of making a deep run at the World Cup will likely depend on beating elite European opposition, saw any hopes of a statement victory quickly dashed.
After conceding, Belgium came to life, producing a deluge of goals from Zeno Debast, Amadou Onana and Charles De Ketelaere, along with a brace from substitute Dodi Lukebakio.
Patrick Agyemang grabbed a late consolation for the US, who face Portugal in another high-profile friendly on Tuesday before Pochettino announces his final squad in May.
Christian Pulisic, the AC Milan forward who has become a poster boy for Team USA, told AFP that the team needs “to take this on the chin.”
“It was a tough loss. It’s a very good team, but in a lot of ways, there’s things that we can do better,” he said.
“I have to improve. The team has to improve.”
Why The Kit Clash Happened?
“That can’t happen. It was a bit strange,” Christian Pulisic said, explaining that at times he couldn’t distinguish teammates from the Belgian opponents.
The U.S. wore its newjerseys, featuring red-and-white horizontal stripes that resemble a waving flag, an apparent homage to the American jerseys from the 1994 World Cup, which had vertical red-and-white stripes.
Belgium wore its new Adidas road jerseys, with a light background colour called Frozen Blue mixed with pink and black trim, a tribute to surrealist artist René Magritte.
Both teams exchanged uniform plans well ahead of the match, according to the U.S. Soccer Federation, and the outfits were cleared before the game by the match officials.
Belgium’s home jersey is solid red, while the U.S.’s other jersey is dark blue with a subtle star pattern and red trim, which it plans to wear for Tuesday’s friendly against Portugal.
Although the clash in colours became apparent during the first half, neither team had an alternate set of jerseys on site to switch to at half-time.
Distinctions instead depended on the shorts and socks: the U.S. wore blue shorts and white socks, while Belgium wore white shorts and blue socks.
(With inputs from Agencies)
United States of America (USA)
March 29, 2026, 08:51 IST
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