The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is on! Each day ahead of the tournament’s return to North America, Yahoo Sports will highlight an insight or moment that showcases just how grand the world’s biggest sporting spectacle has become — even beyond the expanded field of this year’s global event.
A goal difference tiebreaker helped the U.S. advance out of Group G at the 2014 World Cup in Russia, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal out of the knockout stage for the first time since 2002.
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That set up a Round of 16 matchup against Belgium, which went a perfect 3-0-0 in group play with only one goal allowed. The Belgians dominated over 90 minutes, forcing U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard to constantly be on his toes.
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In the third minute of second-half stoppage time, Chris Wondolowski had a glorious chance to win it, but his shot sailed over the crossbar, forcing the game into extra time. Belgium kept attacking and Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku scored 12 minutes apart to lead a 2-1 victory.
In all, Howard would make 16 saves, setting the record for most saves in a match since 1966 when FIFA began keeping track of the statistic.
“That’s my job,” Howard said afterward. “That’s what I signed up to do. It’s part of it. In these big games against top quality competition the levee is going to break at some point if we continue that. Hats off to Belgium they were fantastic. Oddly enough when you’re in the game you really don’t think about that. You kind of fix the problem and you think you can do it.”
2026 World Cup countdown: 100 days of facts, stats and stories
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Belgium’s World Cup would end in the quarterfinals as Lionel Messi and Argentina would continue their run to the final with a 1-0 victory.
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