FIFA World Cup 2026: Belgium eliminate USA to reach quarter-finals
What's the story
The United States of America has been knocked out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a crushing 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16 at Lumen Field. The loss came despite the presence of star striker Folarin Balogun, whose suspension following the red card was controversially revoked by FIFA. This marked another early exit for the Americans from this prestigious tournament.
Match analysis
Belgium send USA packing
Belgium dominated the match, with Charles De Ketelaere drawing first blood in the ninth minute. Although the US equalized through Malik Tillman after the half-hour mark, De Ketelaere once again put Belgium in front. In the second half, Hans Vanaken capitalized on a mistake by US goalkeeper Matt Freese. Romelu Lukaku added a fourth goal in stoppage time to seal the deal.
Stats
A look at match stats
Despite having 53% possession, the US players had a disappointing outing against Belgium (40%). Belgium had 15 attempts at goal, with seven on target. Sergino Dest was replaced at halftime due to his poor performance on the right flank. Balogun, who had scored three goals and assisted another own goal in his first four games for the US, failed to make an impact throughout the match.
Previous matches
USA's run comes to an end
This marked the fourth instance in five World Cups of the US losing the R16 match. They failed to qualify in 2018. Overall, the co-hosts had a remarkable performance, topping Group D. They beat Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32 despite playing with 10 men after Balogun was sent off. However, their hopes of reaching only their second quarter-final in FIFA World Cup history were dashed by Belgium's dominance on Monday.
Coach's comments
Not our day, admits Pochettino
After the match, USA coach Mauricio Pochettino admitted his team struggled to connect from the start. "Even when we scored the goal, 1-1, we conceded the next action. It was really tough from the beginning," he said. He congratulated Belgium for their performance and accepted that it wasn't their day as they failed to show what they usually do on such occasions.