5 Things to Know About Belgium Before Today's World Cup Match

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A Belgium fan waiting in Rio for the start of the Group H match between Belgium and Russia on June 22, 2014.

Image: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images

By Louise Roug2014-07-01 16:31:04 UTC

The U.S. team meets Belgium on Tuesday for an all-important World Cup match. According to prediction algorithms done by the number-crunchers at FiveThirtyEight , the U.S. has a 42% chance of advancing.

See also: USA vs. Belgium: Your Mega Preview for Tuesday's World Cup Showdown

But what should the Americans know about its opponents going in? Here are five tidbits of knowledge to spew during the match — beyond the chocolate and waffles.

1. They don't have their own language...

...So they have to borrow linguistically from neighboring countries. There are three official languages in Belgium — Dutch, French and German — and the freedom to speak any language you want is embedded in the constitution.

2. They're creative.

They have more than 800 kinds of beer, some with decidedly fruity flavors.

Banana, mango, nuts and coconut-flavored beer.

They also like their comics; Tintin is Belgian.

Covers of the comics series Tintin translated in several languages at the Casterman publisher headquarters in Brussels.

Image: GEORGES GOBET/AFP/Getty Images

So is the artist Hermann who created the graphic novel Jeremiah.

3. It's a fairly young country.

The country was founded in 1830, so it is less than 200 years old — but its monarchy is flush with royals. Belgium has two kings and three queens.

Belgium's royal family poses for a photo at the royal palace in Brussels in July 2013. From left: Princess Claire, Princess Eleonore, Prince Laurent, Queen Fabiola, Prince Gabriel, Queen Mathilde, King Philippe, King Albert II, Princess Elisabeth, Queen Paola, Prince Emmanuel, Princess Astrid, Prince Lorenz.

Image: Belgium Prime Ministers Office, HO/Associated Press

4. The taxes there are crazy.

Belgium has one of the highest income tax of any country in the world. Whereas Americans pay about 25% in income tax, the Belgians have the OECD’s highest average tax rate at nearly 56%.

5. It's home to the Smurfs.

The Smurfs was first created and introduced by a Belgian comics artist in 1958.

The 55th anniversary of the creation of The Smurfs in central China's Hubei province in September 2013.

Image: Imaginechina via AP Images/Associated Press

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Topics: Belgium, Sports, US & World, USA, World, world cup