Belgium advances to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, beating co-host USA 4-1

After just 45 seconds, Timothy Castagne had aimed for the top-left corner from distance and forced US goalkeeper Matt Freese into a flying save. The Belgians dominated the opening phase and led 6-0 in shots on goal at halftime, underscoring the Europeans' bold start. After a low, sharp cross from Nicolas Raskin from the left, De Ketelaere only had to slot home in the 9th minute to make it 1-0.

Tillman's Equalizer and the Quick Response

The "Soccer Boys" needed about half an hour and a disputed free kick to find their way into the match. Balogun won that free kick, Tillman stepped up from around 20 meters, and his effort was deflected off the substitute Vanaken in the Belgian wall, leaving it unstoppable for Thibaut Courtois (31st). Just two minutes later, however, the Belgians responded: Leandro Trossard played the ball from the goal line to the far post, where De Ketelaere was perfectly placed and headed home to double his tally (33rd).

Vanaken Punishes US Blunder

After the break, the USA were initially on the front foot, but then Hans Vanaken coldly capitalized on a costly mistake by US keeper Freese. Freese had rushed out of his penalty area to intercept a long ball but failed to make proper contact, allowing it to roll into the net (57th). The brief cheers from US supporters were short-lived, as the Belgians kept pushing and controlled the game.

The substitute Vanaken had only come on for the injured Amadou Onana, who had to be taken off after just 21 minutes. „Es ist auf jeden Fall ernst, das ist klar," said Garcia about the injury. Despite this setback, Belgium saw out the match comfortably. Youri Tielemans squandered a big chance early on when he fired a low cross from Castagne over the bar from close range (8th).

Onana's Injury Casts a Shadow Over the Evening

In the closing stages, Sebastian Berhalter narrowly missed (79th) and Balogun, who could not get past Thibaut Courtois after a sprint (82nd). The final word belonged to Romelu Lukaku, who slid the ball in from the left into the bottom-right corner in stoppage time to make it 4-1 (90th+3). It was his 93rd goal in his 131st international appearance. „Gefährdet war der Sieg der ‚Roten Teufel' nicht mehr," summed up the Sportschau.

US manager Mauricio Pochettino congratulated the Belgian team on progressing and expressed his disappointment after the elimination: „Es war nicht unser Tag heute." The USA had lined up with the same starting eleven as in the 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina but were unable to replicate their group-stage performance. Belgium had already won a friendly 5-2 in Atlanta at the end of March and now confirmed its favorite status in knockout play as well.

Garcia Praises, Pochettino Laments

Belgium manager Rudi Garcia was highly satisfied with his team's performance: „Ich bin sehr stolz auf meine Spieler. Heute haben wir exzellent gespielt, haben das Spiel kontrolliert und als Gruppe gut agiert." At the same time, Garcia pointed to the need for analysis: „Wir müssen daraus lernen, müssen das Spiel analysieren und gucken, wieso wir heute nicht so reingefunden haben wie sonst."

The political furor over Balogun's overturned suspension appeared to have left the Belgians cold on the pitch. His „Begnadigung" after a phone call between US President Donald Trump and FIFA boss Gianni Infantino had previously provoked anger and disbelief among football experts. The striker himself was unable to make much impact in the match and remained largely ineffective.

Looking Ahead to the Quarterfinals

With the clear victory, Belgium advances to the quarterfinals, where it will face reigning European champions Spain on Friday (9 p.m. CEST) in Los Angeles. The Spaniards had previously edged the Iberian derby against Portugal 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Mikel Merino (90th+1). The quarterfinals thus feature a high-caliber European clash, while the USA, as one of the three hosts, must head home.

The elimination is a heavy blow for the American federation and the World Cup organizers, who had hoped the co-host would stick around longer. In Seattle, one of the World Cup venues on the US West Coast, the dream of reaching the last eight ended emphatically for Pochettino's team.