Belgium Humble USA 4-1 to End Co-Hosts’ World Cup Dream

• Belgium ended the United States’ World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 4-1 victory as Charles De Ketelaere scored twice to send the Red Devils into the quarter-finals.

Belgium produced a commanding display to defeat co-hosts the United States 4-1 and book their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Red Devils punished every defensive mistake made by the Americans, with Charles De Ketelaere scoring twice, while Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku also got on the scoresheet in a ruthless attacking performance.

The USA briefly restored hope midway through the first half when Malik Tillman curled in a superb free-kick to level the score after Belgium had taken an early lead. However, the celebration was short-lived as Belgium responded almost immediately to regain control and never looked back.

De Ketelaere’s clinical finishing gave Belgium a firm grip on the contest before Vanaken added another after the break to stretch the advantage. Lukaku then put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time, capitalising on a defensive error by Chris Richards before calmly slotting home his third goal of the tournament.

The victory continues Belgium’s remarkable turnaround after an inconsistent start to the World Cup. Having opened the tournament with two disappointing draws, they recovered with a crucial group-stage victory before staging a dramatic comeback from two goals down against Senegal in the Round of 32.

For the United States, the defeat marks a disappointing end to their campaign on home soil. After impressive performances in the group stage and a convincing Round of 32 victory, they were unable to cope with Belgium’s quality when faced with their toughest challenge of the tournament.

The result is likely to spark debate over whether reaching the Round of 16 is enough for one of the tournament’s co-hosts, with expectations significantly higher ahead of the competition.

Belgium will now face Spain in a blockbuster quarter-final on Friday, July 10, as they continue their pursuit of a first-ever FIFA World Cup title.