De Cuyper warns Belgium must show nerve against hosts USA

Belgium defender Maxim De Cuyper has warned his team must show character against the United States in three days’ time, insisting the hosts will be a far tougher opponent than their 2-5 win in March suggested.

Speaking at a press conference, De Cuyper acknowledged the growing interest in the Round of 16 tie but stressed the scale of the challenge ahead. “I think the result from March can give a skewed picture of what awaits us on Monday,” he said. “The USA are growing in this tournament, they play at home and have many qualities.”

The Brighton & Hove Albion full-back made clear Belgium cannot underestimate their hosts. “I won’t say too much about those qualities, but we know them and we’ll be ready,” he added. The Belgian side will face a 66,000-capacity stadium overwhelmingly backing the United States.

De Cuyper’s message was unambiguous: Belgium must show courage. “We will need balls—that’s all,” he said, echoing Romelu Lukaku’s earlier remarks after qualification. “We have to dare to play our game in a hostile environment. It must not disturb us.”

The defender pointed to the character shown in the Senegal match as the benchmark for Monday’s performance. “There were many positives and negatives to take from that game, but the most important thing is that we learned lessons,” he said. “That match in Atlanta could have gone differently. Senne Lammens made fine saves; otherwise, we might not be having this conversation.”

De Cuyper cautioned against overconfidence despite the March victory. “Of course it’s an advantage to have already played them, but we must not be blinded. This is a team with enormous quality even without Balogun.”

He concluded by framing the tie as a test of Belgium’s mental resilience. “We have to be ready to show our character from the first whistle,” he said.

The Round of 16 clash between Belgium and the United States is scheduled for Monday.