Another Team USA match in the World Cup means another party in downtown Detroit.

Hundreds of fans filled out Campus Martius Park ahead of Team USA’s Round of 16 match against Belgium. If USA wins at Lumen Field in Seattle, it’ll be its first time the Americans made the World Cup quarterfinals in more than 20 years.

This is the fifth Team USA watch party held by Detroit City Football Club for the World Cup.

Live match updates: USA-Belgium score, highlights with Balogun returning from red

One US soccer fan, Ankur Gupta, came with a red, white, and blue Einstein wig. Gupta said he hopes the fanfare at Campus Martius matches the in-person experience for Team USA matches.

“I went to the US-Seattle, US-Paraguay games, and they have this complete (expletive) show,” he said. “And it’s awesome.”

The conversation around tonight’s match has been dominated by FIFA’s last-minute decision to allow Folarin Balogun to play, nullifying a one-game suspension from his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With Balogun available, the USMNT has an improved shot to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002, and only the second time ever.

Detroit watch party erups after USA goal vs. Belgium in World Cup

The downtown Detroit crowd reacts as USA’s Malik Tillman scores against Belgium in the World Cup Round of 16 match on July 6, 2026.

This story will be updated.

USA TODAY contributed.

Energy Storage Safety Products International (ESSPI), based in Newlab Detroit at Michigan Central, has launched Med Hawk, a new division of the company focused on bringing its ground-based transportation monitoring system to the skies.

With this launch, ESSPI will provide drone operators with insight and analytics when aircraft are transporting medical supplies beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

“The drone industry has built the foundation for incredible unmanned aircraft, but now ESSPI is working to demonstrate how we can make those same drones work for us,” says Ron Butler, CEO of ESSPI. “Using Med Hawk’s real-time data and monitoring systems, we are able to help ensure that medical supplies are delivered quickly and safely, ultimately helping to save lives.”

Med Hawk has partnered with Brighton autonomous drone logistics company Blueflite to demonstrate its drone battery monitoring and data logging capabilities and is utilizing the Michigan Central AAIR to replicate deliveries in real-world deployment scenarios.

“Blueflite is excited to work with ESSPI in flight testing their innovative and unique cold storage solution for medical logistics,” says Andrew Zeimen, program manager at Blueflite. “We are looking forward to flying with a Michigan designed and manufactured product on our mission to continue making drone delivery accessible to those that need it, where and when they need it most.”

ESSPI technology is built on the understanding that batteries often exhibit measurable environmental changes before catastrophic failure, the company says. Designed through three years of collaborative development with the U.S Department of Transportation, ESSPI’s DNOC framework — Detection, Notification, Operation, and Communication — allows Med Hawk to provide real-time visibility, data logging, and alerts so drone operators can take action before issues escalate.

Advanced aerial mobility is expanding access to medical deliveries, improving emergency response capabilities, and driving efficiencies across logistics and supply chains. Michigan Central and the Michigan Department of Transportation created AAIR to help scale these technologies, providing 28 square miles of dense, urban environment for testing and scaling new drone technologies into market-ready solutions.

“The diversification of ESSPI’s market offering showcases the transition we’re seeing many companies make, identification and commercialization of products which will make aerial mobility a viable platform to scale their business, while providing solutions for communities that better serve their needs,” says Matt Whitaker, director of the mobility innovation platform at Michigan Central. “What we are seeing with ESSPI and Blueflite is exactly what the Michigan Central ecosystem was built for. To create the foundation for talent and inspiring collaboration between member companies, leading to the next generation of advanced mobility innovation being born in Detroit.”

The collaboration is said to reflect broader momentum across Michigan Central’s aerial mobility ecosystem, which has supported more than 1,200 drone flights and multiple BVLOS deployments focused on logistics, infrastructure inspection, public safety, and delivery applications.

For more information about ESSPI, visit esspi.com/.

For more information about blueflite, visit blueflite.com/.

For more information about Michigan Central AAIR, visit here.

Southwest Detroit – A power outage at Marathon’s Detroit refinery has led to operating conditions that made flaring necessary, the company said Sunday.

Flares are safety devices that allow for the safe combustion of excess gases under certain operating conditions, according to Marathon.

Refinery personnel are conducting off-site air monitoring, the company said.

As a precaution, a section of Schaefer Road from I-75 to Dix Road is closed. Local law enforcement is managing the closure.

Marathon said the company’s top priorities are the safety of employees, responders and the community, as well as limiting any environmental impact.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said her administration is monitoring the situation closely.

“EGLE (the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) and refinery personnel are conducting air quality monitoring both on-site and in the surrounding neighborhoods. At this time, monitoring has not detected gas readings of concern,” the statement said.

Local 4 reached out to EGLE and a spokesperson said the agency is sending all media inquiries to the city of Detroit.