Team USA's World Cup run ends as Belgium wins Round of 16 matchup to advance

Team USA’s tally astatine the 2026 FIFA World Cup has travel to an end. 

Belgium, successful beforehand of a sold-out, U.S.-heavy assemblage successful Seattle, defeated the USMNT, 4-1, successful a lucifer wherever they took afloat vantage of their opponent’s mistakes. 

Charles De Ketelaere was the antheral who not lone scored conscionable 9 minutes into the lucifer for Belgium, but his extremity successful the 39th infinitesimal made Team USA manager Mauricio Pochettino footwear h2o bottles connected the sideline. 

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Christian Pulisic of the United States during the archetypal fractional against Belgium during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 16 lucifer astatine Seattle Stadium connected July 6, 2026 successful Seattle, United States. (John Todd/ISI Photos)

The reason? Malik Tillman, who scored a escaped footwear against Bosnia and Herzegovina successful the Round of 32 triumph successful the Bay Area, took different conscionable successful beforehand of Belgium’s box, and it deflected disconnected a Belgian defender and threw disconnected legendary keeper Thibaut Courtois to adjacent the crippled astatine 1 apiece.

The momentum was backmost for the USMNT successful that infinitesimal successful the 37th minute. But erstwhile again, shotty defence for the U.S. resulted successful an casual extremity for De Ketelaere close successful beforehand of Matt Freese’s net. 

USA COACH MAURICIO POCHETTINO KICKS POWERADE BOTTLES IN FRUSTRATION AS TEAM'S FIRST HALF DEFENSE LOOKS SHAKY

Freese, though, had a monolithic mistake of his ain successful the 2nd fractional that crushed the momentum that had conjured up portion down 1 goal.

In the 57th minute, a full game-changer came erstwhile Freese decided to permission his nett portion De Ketelaere was chasing the done ball. Freese was archetypal to get there, but arsenic helium was trying to wide the ball, his ft got caught successful the turf. 

United States of America goalkeeper Matt Freese reacts aft Belgium midfielder Hans Vanaken scored against him portion Belgium players observe during the 2nd fractional of a World Cup circular of 16 sound retired lucifer betwixt United States and Belgium astatine Lumen Field connected Monday, July 6, 2026 successful Seattle, WA.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

In a desperation attempt, helium tried to footwear it with his close foot, but De Ketelaere got successful the mode and Hans Vanaken kicked it past Freese and Ream, who couldn’t crook his assemblage astir to prevention it for 1 of the worst goals allowed by a squad astatine this World Cup. 

Overall, it wasn’t Team USA’s champion effort successful the infinitesimal they needed it astir successful the Round of 16. 

To marque matters worse, Pochettino was forced to sub retired Christian Pulisic, dubbed "Captain America," aft a changeable effort resulted successful an injury. Pulisic coiled up for a footwear connected his close ft erstwhile a Belgian defender stepped successful beforehand of him. Instead of kicking the ball, Pulisic belted the backmost bottommost of the Belgium defender, and helium went down successful wide pain. 

Pulisic tried to tally it off, but with a wide limp, Pochettino sent successful Sebastian Berhalter instead. 

As for the biggest communicative of this match, Folarin Balogun, who became disposable aft FIFA invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary codification to suspend his reddish card, wasn’t overmuch of a origin for the team. Belgium did a bully occupation of buttoning up their defense, and Balogun ne'er got a cleanable look to find the backmost of the nett arsenic helium has successful past matches. 

The U.S. tried desperately to get backmost into the match, particularly erstwhile Berhalter conscionable missed getting a shot past Courtois, but it conscionable went wide left. However, Belgium did their antiaircraft duties and refused to let what Senegal did to them successful the circular of 32 – a second-half miraculous comeback. 

Charles De Ketelaere of Belgium celebrates with teammate Dodi Lukebakio aft scoring his team's 2nd extremity during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 lucifer betwixt USA and Belgium astatine Seattle Stadium connected July 6, 2026 successful Seattle, Washington. (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

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Instead, Romelu Lukaku, Belgium's superstar striker, enactment a cherry connected apical of their triumph with a stoppage clip extremity past Freese successful the 2nd half. It was rather the connection connected a crippled they dominated throughout. 

As you'd expect, it was a bittersweet radical for the U.S. pursuing the loss, portion Belgium celebrated their spot successful the quarterfinals wherever they volition instrumentality connected Spain aboriginal this week. 

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