The issue that plagued the U.S. men’s national team and Belgium’s last meeting won’t be present when the two sides clash in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup on Monday.
In their March meeting in Atlanta, the two sides showcased one of the worst possible kit clashes in recent soccer history—both wore predominantly white-appearing kits, which made for challenging viewing for fans and posed difficulties for players.
On that day, Belgium wore its blue, pink and white secondary kit, while the USMNT debuted the World Cup jersey it has been most successful in this summer. Luckily, that won’t be the case in the second knockout game of this summer’s tournament for both teams.
Instead, the USMNT will wear the navy blue stars kit for the second time this World Cup, while Belgium will wear the same kit as in March, providing a stark light-vs.-dark contrast that should make for a significantly improved viewing experience for fans and a better playing experience for those on the pitch.
“That just can’t happen. It was a bit strange. It was very difficult. I didn’t know until we took off the pre-match shirts and then saw it, and everyone was a bit shocked,” Christian Pulisic said after the USMNT lost that match 5–2. “When you a lot of times you get the ball, you look up like, and you can’t really like lock in on someone. You can only base it on the color of the shirt. That’s how it works. And when it’s very similar, it’s difficult.”
Weston McKennie also criticized the clash, as did Belgium’s Amadou Onana—his assessment was rather more blunt as he labeled the kit clash “awful.”
How Has the USMNT Fared in the Stars Kit?
There’s only so much a kit can influence, and the USMNT is playing well regardless of how it dresses. But results in the stars kit have been less than perfect, as the stripes kit has become the lasting and iconic look of the 2026 World Cup.
Since debuting the kit in the loss to Belgium—a result that, despite its hefty scoreline, shouldn’t indicate anything about the level of the knockout-stage match—the USMNT has lost all three times while wearing the stars kit.
Meant to pay subtle tribute to the famed denim kit of the 1994 U.S.-hosted World Cup, the team last wore it in the dead-rubber, 3–2 loss to Türkiye to close out Group D action. Before that, it featured in a 2–1 friendly loss to Germany ahead of the World Cup and a 2–0 friendly loss to Portugal in March.
Overall, the last time the USMNT won a game in the darker kit was on Nov. 18, 2025, when current USMNT talents Sebastian Berhalter and Alex Freeman scored in a 5–1 trouncing of Uruguay.
Should the USMNT advance past Belgium at Lumen Field in Seattle, it would likely have the chance to return to the red-and-white stripes kit in what would be the team’s second quarterfinal match in history, taking on likely Spain’s red or Portugal’s dark red on July 10 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
