The United States were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 7 after a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the round of 16 in Seattle. Charles de Ketelaere scored twice, Hans Vanaken and substitute Romelu Lukaku also netted, as the US became the third and final co-host knocked out at the last-16 stage.
It’s over for the United States. In what can only be described as a crushing and deeply disappointing exit on home soil, Mauricio Pochettino’s side were completely outclassed by Belgium at Seattle Stadium, losing 4-1 in a game that never really felt close after the opening exchanges.
Belgium struck first in the ninth minute. Nicolas Raskin slid a pass across the face of goal and Charles de Ketelaere—starting ahead of record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku for the fourth time this tournament—tapped in with ease. The US rallied briefly and leveled in the 31st minute through a Malik Tillman free-kick that took a wicked deflection off Hans Vanaken. For a moment, it felt like the crowd might get the match they came for. They didn’t. Just two minutes later, De Ketelaere headed in Leandro Trossard’s cross to restore Belgium’s lead, and the momentum never shifted back.
The third goal was the killer—and the most embarrassing. Goalkeeper Matt Freese hesitated badly in possession, De Ketelaere nipped in to rob him, and Vanaken side-footed into the bottom corner from outside the box. Then, deep into injury time, substitute Lukaku pounced on a Chris Richards error to slot home Belgium’s fourth, breaking a remarkable World Cup record in the process: Lukaku became the first substitute to score three goals in a single tournament.
Much of the pre-match conversation had centered on Folarin Balogun, the US’s top scorer with three goals, who had been handed a reprieve after FIFA suspended his one-match red card ban for 12 months—a decision prompted in part by President Donald Trump’s public intervention. Balogun started but was largely isolated and anonymous, managing only one real chance—a tight-angle shot smartly saved by Thibaut Courtois in the final 10 minutes. Former Republic of Ireland striker Clinton Morrison summed it up bluntly on BBC Radio 5 Live: “USA weren’t good enough. Belgium showed their class.”
BBC Sport’s South American football expert Tim Vickery went further, suggesting Pochettino had made a tactical and moral misjudgment by starting Balogun at all. “I think the right thing to do would have been to leave Folarin Balogun on the bench,” Vickery said. “You would diffuse the whole issue.” Whether or not the controversy rattled the squad, the US looked flat, disconnected, and unlike any version of themselves that had shown up earlier in the tournament.
Pochettino was honest at full time: “Everyone saw from the beginning that we did not connect with the game. We were never in the game. The principal person responsible is myself.”
With all three co-hosts—Canada, Mexico, and the United States—now eliminated in the round of 16, questions are swirling about how much interest remains in the tournament on American soil. The US have now fallen at the last-16 stage in four of their past five World Cups, a record that underscores just how far there is still to go.
Belgium, meanwhile, march on. They will face European champions Spain in the quarter-finals on Friday, July 10, in Los Angeles (20:00 BST). Former England defender Matt Upson was encouraged by what he saw: “Belgium started brilliantly… the midfield three had a strong game. They are going to need to be good against what is a brilliant Spanish midfield.”
De Ketelaere, rated an extraordinary 8.78 by BBC Sport users, was the standout player of the night by a wide margin. Garcia’s gamble on youth paid off spectacularly.