Belgium Advances, US Eliminated.
Belgium Dominates United States 4-1 to Advance to World Cup Quarterfinals.
Key Points
Nicolas Raskin started in place of Kevin De Bruyne and delivered the assist for De Ketelaere's opening goal in the 9th minute.
Leandro Trossard supplied the cross for De Ketelaere's 33rd-minute header, the second goal that restored Belgium's lead.
The match was played before a sell-out crowd of 66,925 at Seattle's Lumen Field, underscoring the scale of the host nation's World Cup exit.
De Ketelaere's brace came in the 9th and 33rd minutes, with the 33rd-minute goal coming via a header after a cross from Trossard, marking his seventh and eighth international goals.
Malik Tillman equalized in the 31st minute with a deflected free-kick from just outside Belgium's box, briefly leveling the match before Belgium pulled away.
Belgium crushed the United States 4-1 at Seattle's Lumen Field on July 6, ending the host nation's 2026 World Cup run in the Round of 16. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and added an assist, while Romelu Lukaku sealed the result in stoppage time before a sold-out crowd of 66,925. Yahoo Sports reported Belgium will now face Spain in Los Angeles in the quarter-finals.
The match was overshadowed before a ball was kicked. FIFA used Article 27 of its disciplinary code — a rule allowing it to suspend sanctions — to overturn a one-match ban on US striker Folarin Balogun after direct lobbying by President Donald Trump. UEFA called the move "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable." Balogun played 90 minutes and failed to score.
De Ketelaere Tears Apart US Defense in Opening Half
Belgium took control early. Nicolas Raskin — starting in place of an injured Kevin De Bruyne — set up De Ketelaere for the opening goal in the 9th minute after a poor US defensive header. It was a sign of things to come. RFI reported that Malik Tillman briefly leveled the match in the 31st minute with a deflected free-kick from 25 yards out.
The equalizer lasted just 116 seconds. Leandro Trossard crossed from the left, and De Ketelaere headed home his second goal in the 33rd minute. Belgium led 2-1 at halftime. The goals were De Ketelaere's seventh and eighth for the national team. Head Topics noted he finished the match with two goals and an assist — the undisputed best player on the pitch.
Freese Blunder and Pulisic Injury Kill US Comeback Hope
Any US hope of recovery died in the 57th minute. Goalkeeper Matt Freese charged out of his penalty area to clear a long ball and completely misplayed it. De Ketelaere intercepted and fed Hans Vanaken, who fired into an empty net to make it 3-1. Freese said afterward: "This hurts. This moment stings more than probably any other moment in my life."
Three minutes earlier, US captain Christian Pulisic had gone down with a right ankle and knee sprain after a challenge with Youri Tielemans. He was subbed off in the 59th minute. "I completely twisted my ankle and knee in one play," Pulisic said. "It's just an unfortunate way to end the World Cup." Lukaku added a fourth goal in the 90th+3rd minute after a Chris Richards giveaway to complete the rout.
Trump's FIFA Lobbying Triggered a Soccer Governance Crisis
On July 2, Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino personally to protest Balogun's red card, calling it a "great injustice." White House aides — including Andrew Giuliani and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick — also lobbied FIFA's top brass. On July 5, FIFA cleared Balogun to play and fined the US Soccer Federation $40,000. Trump posted on Truth Social, thanking FIFA for "reversing a great injustice."
The backlash was immediate. UEFA warned that "the integrity of the game is at stake" when governing bodies bend the rules. The Belgian Football Association expressed "astonishment." After Lukaku's final goal, Belgium's players performed what witnesses called a "Trump dance" on the pitch. The Belgian FA posted the image with the caption: "Overturn this." Infantino defended the ruling, saying FIFA's judicial bodies "operate autonomously" and "decide cases based on the applicable regulations."
US Eliminated Again at Round of 16, Pochettino's Future Unclear
The loss extended a painful streak. The US has now been eliminated in the Round of 16 in 2010, 2014, 2022, and now 2026 — each time failing to reach the quarter-finals. The stats told a brutal story: Belgium outshot the US 15 to 7, with an expected goals total of 2.0 versus just 0.6 for the hosts. Yahoo Sports reported Belgium dominated from the first whistle, pressing the US backline and exploiting every defensive error.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino did not make excuses. "We were never in the game," he said. "The main responsible one is me." His short-term contract expires this summer. When asked about his future, he said: "In the coming weeks, we will talk. Now it's time to rest and reflect." Belgium advance to face Spain in Los Angeles, reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the third time in the last four tournaments.
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