A disciplinary circus was still hanging over USA against Belgium when Charles De Ketelaere made the football painfully simple: score early, score again, then help finish the job in a 4-1 World Cup Round of 16 win.
FIFA had delayed Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension after his direct red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a decision praised by Donald Trump after Gianni Infantino confirmed receiving a call from him. UEFA condemned the precedent, Belgium protested, and then Belgium did the one thing that cuts through administrative fog: they won heavily.
FIFA shadows USA-Belgium before kick-off
Balogun was available, but the controversy could not play centre-forward for the hosts. He missed from close range before half-time and was denied by Thibaut Courtois in an 82nd-minute one-on-one, which was about as helpful as the process that put him on the pitch.
De Ketelaere punishes USA fast
Belgium started as if offended by the whole week. After early pressure, De Ketelaere turned in Nicolas Raskin’s low ball in the 9th minute. Malik Tillman dragged the USA level in the 31st with a free-kick that struck Hans Vanaken in the wall and wrong-footed Courtois.
The scoreboard barely had time to enjoy neutrality. In the 33rd minute, Leandro Trossard crossed from the left and De Ketelaere rose above Tim Ream to head Belgium back in front at 2-1 by half-time.
Belgium expose USA possession illusion
The USA finished with 56% possession, but Belgium carried the blade: 14 shots to 7, 6 on target to 2, and 5 corners to 3. The two American yellow cards also told their own story of a chase growing uglier.
The decisive wound came in the 57th minute when Matthew Freese hesitated far from goal, De Ketelaere stole in, and Vanaken scored from distance into an empty net. Romelu Lukaku, on from the bench, added the fourth in the 90th minute after another American defensive error.
Belgium advance as USA exit World Cup
Belgium are through to the World Cup quarter-finals against Spain. The USA are out, left with more possession, more questions, and a FIFA subplot that Belgium’s emphatic win mercifully stopped from becoming the whole tournament’s punchline.
Match Information
Competition: World Cup, Round of 16; Date & Time: Tuesday 7 July 2026, 02:00 CET; Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle; Referee: Adham Mohammad, Jordan.
