USA’s World Cup dream ended in painful fashion in Seattle as Belgium delivered a ruthless 4-1 win to dump the co-hosts out of the tournament and silence a stadium that had arrived expecting history.
The build-up had been dominated by controversy. Folarin Balogun, sent off in the previous round against Bosnia and Herzegovina, was cleared to play after FIFA suspended his one-match ban following Donald Trump’s intervention. The decision caused fury across football, with Belgium angry, UEFA critical and many questioning the integrity of the competition.
But once the whistle blew, the controversy could not protect the United States from Belgium’s quality — or from their own mistakes.
Charles De Ketelaere was the star of the night. The Belgian forward struck twice in the first half and constantly punished the gaps in a nervous American defence. USA briefly found hope when Malik Tillman’s deflected free-kick levelled the score, but that optimism lasted barely two minutes before Belgium hit back again.
Balogun, whose availability had become the biggest talking point before kick-off, struggled to make the impact America needed. He had chances, including one close-range opportunity before half-time, but failed to deliver on a night when the pressure around him was enormous.
The collapse became even worse after the break. Goalkeeper Matt Freese made a costly mistake when he hesitated on the ball, allowing Belgium to turn the moment into a third goal through Hans Vanaken. Late on, Chris Richards gave the ball away near his own goal, and Romelu Lukaku punished the error to complete the humiliation.
For Mauricio Pochettino, this was a brutal ending to a campaign that had promised so much. USA had captured attention with their energy, belief and attacking football earlier in the tournament, but when the biggest night arrived, they looked overwhelmed. Christian Pulisic left the field devastated, while the American players were left to process another round-of-16 exit.
Belgium, meanwhile, showed experience, composure and a ruthless edge. Their players even appeared to mock the political drama after full-time, adding another layer to an already explosive story.
USA leave the World Cup with regret, controversy and major questions about what comes next. Balogun played, Trump got his wish, but Belgium had the final answer on the pitch.
