On the same day that Sam wrote his name in World Cup lore against Ukraine in the Round of 32 clash, England also took on Belgium.
Their game was scheduled to start 3 hours later.
[FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 32]
[Match 6: England vs Belgium]
[Venue: MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA]
[Date: July 2nd, 2026]
[Kick-off: 20:00 local time]
[Referee: Clement Turpin (France)]
The weather in New Jersey was nice. Clear skies. It was an electric night in East Rutherford.
England vs Belgium, one of the fantasy scenarios of the Round of 32.
It was a heavyweight war of eras… England's new blood vs Belgium's golden farewell.
This was no ordinary Round of 32 match, it was a clash of legacy and prophecy.
Belgium's golden generation; De Bruyne, Lukaku, Tielemans, Doku, those remaining of it knew this was their last dance.
England, young and star-studded, looked like the future. Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer had set the tournament alight.