Belgium hammered co-hosts United States 4-1 in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match to book their place in the quarterfinals.
Published: July 7, 2026, 11:55 AM IST
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Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku celebrates after scoring against US in FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match. (Photo: IANS)
USA vs Belgium FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16: Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, assisted on one and Romelu Lukaku completed the misery as Belgium hammered co-hosts United States in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match at the Lumen Field Stadium in Seattle on Monday. USMNT, who were hoping to go deep into the tournament on their home soil, were packed out of the Round of 16 stages for the seventh time in their history after 4-1 loss to the Belgians.
The Belgian national team rubbed salt into the wounds of USMNT by celebrating with a ‘Trump Dance’ in a video which went viral after the match. After defeating the co-hosts they continued to mock them on social media with a post ‘Overturn this’ referring to United States footballer Foloarin Balogun’s red card which was suspended by FIFA after the interference of US President Donald Trump.
The ruling drew strong criticism from the Belgian Football Association, which issued statements expressing ‘astonishment’ at the decision. European football governing body UEFA also condemned the ruling, saying it had ‘crossed a red line’ and could have negative consequences for the game as a whole. It also emerged that US president Donald Trump had lobbied for Balogun’s red card to be overturned.
WATCH Belgium celebrate win over USMNT with a ‘Trump Dance’ HERE…
Belgium doing the “Trump Dance” after eliminating USA from the World Cup
NEXT LEVEL TROLLING pic.twitter.com/ajpJ2MTktX
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) July 7, 2026
While the US were boosted by the presence of star forward Folarin Balogun, their defenders were at fault in a pair of first-half goals and Freese’s howler gave the Red Devils a third early in the second half. Second-half substitute Romelu Lukaku added Belgium’s final goal in the third minute of stoppage time after Richards’ giveaway.
The US hadn’t allowed that many goals in a World Cup game since a 5-1 loss to Czechoslovakia in their 1990 World Cup opener, when they returned to the tournament after a 40-year absence.
“A very bad day. It’s not like you are in a rocket and you improve and you grow. … It’s not linear,” US coach Mauricio Pochettino was quoted as saying by AP news agency.
Belgium managed to knock out the US in the round of 16 for the second time in 12 years and extended their unbeaten streak to 18 games. The Red Devils play 2010 champions Spain at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for a semifinal berth against France or Morocco.
“We showed that we’re ready and we want to perform,” captain Youri Tielemans said.
All six of the CONCACAF nations have been eliminated, with the three co-hosts falling in the round of 16. Malik Tillman leveled the score at 1-1 midway through the first half when he became the first player since France’s Bernard Genghini in 1982 to score with two free kicks in a World Cup, but the Americans conceded just 61 seconds later.
American star Christian Pulisic could only watch the end from the bench after injuring his right ankle when he hit Tielemans’ boot on a 52nd-minute shot attempt. Pulisic was replaced seven minutes later, finishing the tournament with no goals.
“I didn’t quite have the moments I was hoping to and to try to help us to really push and get over this next step of beating a really good team. I’m disappointed with myself, of course, but I’m going to try and stay positive. I did a lot of good things and the team did, as well,” Pulisic said after the match
After winning three World Cup games for the first time in the FIFA World Cup 2026, the US lost their seventh straight match to Belgium. The Americans have lost 11 out of their last 12 games against European opponents, winning only their round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
