July 7, 05:46

USA eliminated from FIFA World Cup after 1-4 defeat to Belgium

The USA team, one of the host countries for the FIFA World Cup 2026, concluded its journey in a disappointing manner. In the Round of 16 match, held on July 7th at the Seattle Stadium in Seattle, Belgium secured a convincing victory over the American team with a score of 4-1.

Match Summary and Goals

This victory meant that the US dream of a long run in the World Cup in front of their home audience was shattered. The main hero of Belgium's victory was Charles De Ketelaere, who exploited the weaknesses of the US defense by scoring two goals and providing one assist. De Ketelaere scored in the 9th and 33rd minutes.

Despite this, the US team managed to score one goal thanks to Malik Tillman in the 31st minute. However, Hans Vanaken increased Belgium's lead to 3-1 in the 57th minute. The final goal, which sealed Belgium's victory, was scored by Romelu Lukaku in stoppage time of the second half.

Future Plans and Coach's Reaction

In the first half, Belgium scored two goals due to lapses in the US defensive line. The start of the second half was complicated by a serious error from goalkeeper Matt Fraser, which almost extinguished hopes of an American comeback. Although the US briefly offered hope of a turnaround when Malik Tillman equalized 1-1 from a free kick in the middle of the first half, the joy of the players and fans was short-lived. Just 61 seconds after the restart, Belgium scored another goal, which was a major blow to the US, and after that, the team could not recover.

podrobno.uzJuly 7, 07:52

Belgium mocks FIFA after defeating USA in World Cup, reacting to player's disqualification

The Belgian national team achieved a convincing victory over the USA in the World Cup round of 16 match, thereby eliminating the last host team from the tournament. After the game, the Belgian footballers reacted ironically to the controversial situation involving Folarin Balogun.

Match Progression and Results

The game, played in Seattle, ended with a score of 4:1 in favor of Belgium. The Belgian team's goals were scored by Charles De Ketelaere (who scored twice), Hans Vanaken, and Romelu Lukaku. The only goal for the American team was scored by Malik Tillman.

Disqualification Situation

Before the confrontation, a scandal arose concerning US forward Folarin Balogun. He received a red card in the previous match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which should have led to his disqualification for the match against Belgium. However, FIFA decided to postpone the application of this disqualification, although the red card itself was not annulled.

Reaction of the Belgian National Team

As a sign of sarcasm after their fourth goal, the official account of the Belgian national team published a photo of Lukaku with the caption 'Cancel this,' which was a reference to the decision made by FIFA regarding Balogun.

Further Stages of the Tournament

In the quarterfinals, Belgium will face Spain. It is worth noting that previously Spain denied Portugal, where Ronaldo played, a chance to reach the quarterfinals thanks to Mikel Merino's goal in the 90+1st minute.