Belgium delivered a dominant performance to defeat the United States 4-1 on Tuesday and secure a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, where they will face Spain.
The Round of 16 clash in Seattle was preceded by controversy after FIFA lifted the one-match suspension imposed on USA striker Folarin Balogun, allowing him to feature despite having been sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The decision drew criticism from Belgium and some football officials, but it had little impact on the Red Devils, who controlled the match from the opening whistle.
Belgium created early chances, with goalkeeper Matt Freese denying Timothy Castagne before Charles De Ketelaere broke the deadlock in the ninth minute.
The midfielder finished calmly after Nicolas Raskin’s cross exposed lapses in the American defence.
Belgium dominated possession through the midfield trio of Youri Tielemans, Hans Vanaken and Raskin, limiting the United States to sporadic counter-attacks.
The Americans equalised in the 31st minute when Malik Tillman’s free-kick took a deflection off Vanaken, wrong-footing goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
However, the celebrations were short-lived as Belgium restored their lead almost immediately.
Leandro Trossard delivered a precise cross that De Ketelaere headed past Freese to make it 2-1.
USA coach Mauricio Pochettino admitted his side never recovered after conceding so quickly following the equaliser.
“From the beginning, we didn’t connect with the game. Even when we scored the goal, we conceded in the next action,” he said.
The United States started the second half with greater urgency but their hopes suffered a major setback in the 57th minute.
Freese lost possession while attempting to play out from the back, allowing Vanaken to intercept and calmly score into an empty net for Belgium’s third goal.
Belgium comfortably controlled the remainder of the match, while Balogun, despite winning the free-kick that led to the USA’s only goal, struggled to make a meaningful impact.
Substitute Romelu Lukaku completed the rout in stoppage time with a composed finish for his 93rd international goal and his seventh at FIFA World Cup finals.
Belgium captain Youri Tielemans suggested the pre-match controversy had motivated the team, while Raskin hinted that justice had prevailed.
“I think there was always justice somewhere in life. Today, I think it just brings us a little bit of luck,” Raskin said.
USA captain Tyler Adams accepted the result, acknowledging Belgium’s superiority.
“Let’s not get it twisted, I think the better team won today.
“That being said, I don’t think we can take away what we accomplished in the rest of the tournament,” Adams said.
The victory sends Belgium into the World Cup quarter-finals for the third time in the last four editions, where they will meet Spain in one of the tournament’s marquee fixtures.
The defeat also ended the United States’ hopes of a deep run on home soil, with all three 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosts eliminated before the quarter-final stage.
