Belgium Thrashes USA 4-1 to Reach World Cup Quarterfinals

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Belgium national football team confidently defeated the USA team 4-1 in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to secure a place in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

The match took place at Seattle Stadium. The victory for the Belgians was secured by a brace from Charles de Ketelaere, who scored in the 9th and 33rd minutes, alongside goals from Hans Vanaken in the 57th minute and Romelu Lukaku, who scored in the second-half stoppage time.

Malik Tillman scored the only goal for the USA team, finding the net in the 31st minute.

Despite being sent off in the previous match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, USA forward Folarin Balogun started the game. His suspension was stayed by the disciplinary committee of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

In the quarterfinals, Belgium will face Spain. The match is scheduled to take place on 10 July 2026 at Los Angeles Stadium in California, kicking off at 12:00 PM local time (2:00 AM Tashkent Time on 11 July 2026).

This marks the fourth time the Belgian national team has reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup. The team finished fourth in 1986, reached the quarterfinals in 2014, and claimed bronze medals in 2018. At the previous World Cup, the Belgians failed to progress past the group stage.

The USA national team failed to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. Since 2010, the American team has concluded its performance at the round of 16 stage for the fourth time.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.