There are sporting narratives that write themselves and there are sporting narratives that get canceled by the bracket, and the most symbolically loaded World Cup fixture of the American summer, the United States versus England on Independence Day, the 250th anniversary of American independence from England, in a country where the America 250 birthday party is simultaneously being held on the National Mall with empty food lines, did not happen because England is playing DR Congo today in the round of 32, and if England advance they will play Argentina on July 5, not the United States.
The United States beat Bosnia 2-0 on Tuesday in Santa Clara and advanced to the round of 16, where they will face Belgium on July 6 in Seattle. Belgium, ranked 10th in the world, beat them 5-2 in a friendly in March. The match is in Seattle. It is on July 6. July 6 is not July 4. Seattle is not Philadelphia. Belgium is not England.
The matchup that the American sports media had been constructing for months, the former colony versus the former empire on the 250th birthday of independence, in the empire’s own sport, required both teams to advance through their rounds of 32 and be placed in the same bracket position for the round of 16. The teams were not placed in the same bracket position. The USA is on the left side of the bracket. England, should they advance past DR Congo today, will be on the right side. The sides meet in the final, if both advance that far, which is possible and which would make the July 4 Independence Day fixture a July 19 final instead.
FIFA describes the bracket as based on group placement results rather than symbolic alignment, which is technically true and which produced the coincidence of the USA being set up to potentially face England on July 4 in Philadelphia before losing to Turkey in the group stage, which changed their bracket position.
The USA lost to Turkey 3-2 in their final group game. Turkey is ranked 26th. The loss produced the Belgium matchup. Turkey changed history.
When the most symbolically loaded match of America’s 250th birthday World Cup is canceled by a loss to Turkey, who exactly is writing the script?
Sources
HuffPost: 2026 FIFA World Cup Live Updates
HuffPost: U.S. Beats Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 To Advance To Round Of 16 And Keep Its World Cup Dreams Alive
Fox News: USA World Cup path
