Belgium booked their place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a commanding 4-1 victory over co-hosts the United States on Tuesday, powered by a brilliant performance from Charles De Ketelaere, who scored twice and provided an assist. Playing at Lumen Field, Belgium ruthlessly exploited defensive lapses by the Americans to eliminate the hosts from the knockout stage for the second consecutive World Cup.
Belgium made a blistering start and took the lead in the eighth minute through De Ketelaere. The United States responded in the 31st minute when Malik Tillman curled in an outstanding free-kick to level the score. However, Belgium restored their advantage just 61 seconds later, with De Ketelaere netting his second goal of the match to deal a major blow to the Americans' hopes of a comeback.
The visitors capitalised on another defensive error early in the second half. Under pressure from De Ketelaere, United States goalkeeper Matt Freese lost control of the ball, allowing Hans Vanaken to score Belgium's third goal in the 57th minute and extend the lead to 3-1. Substitute Romelu Lukaku completed the rout in the third minute of stoppage time, sealing an emphatic 4-1 victory for Belgium.
The United States had been boosted by the return of star striker Folarin Balogun after FIFA controversially overturned his one-match suspension following a red card. However, the hosts were unable to take advantage of his availability. Captain Christian Pulisic was also forced off in the second half after suffering a leg injury.
Despite the defeat, it marked the United States' best-ever performance in the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, with the team winning three matches for the first time in tournament history. However, their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002 came to an end.
Belgium, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten run in international football to 18 matches and will now face 2010 FIFA World Cup champions Spain in the quarter-finals.
The defeat also meant that all six teams representing the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) have now been eliminated from the tournament. Co-hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada all exited in the Round of 16, leaving Europe, South America and Africa as the only continents represented in the quarter-finals.
