Belgium knock hosts USA out of the World Cup

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·07 de julho de 2026

Belgium knock hosts USA out of the World Cup

The United States were comfortably knocked out of the 2026 World Cup by Belgium in a game that had extra spice following the decision to suspend Florian Balogun's suspension.

Belgium came close in the very first minute of the match, when Timothy Castagne picked up a loose ball in midfield, struck a well-placed first-time shot forcing Matt Freese to pull off a superb save at the far post.

Vídeos OneFootball

As Belgium continued their strong start, Youri Tielemans missed the target with a shot from close range but in the 9th minute, Nicholas Raskin won the ball in the box, shot across goal and Charles De Ketelaere was there to simply tap it into the empty net.

By the time of the water break, Belgium had already managed seven shots to the American's zero. But after the break, and with their first shot on target, Malik Tillman took a free-kick which took a deflection off the wall to beat Thibaut Courtois and level the score.

Belgium’s response was immediate. In the 33rd minute, Trossard made a solo run down the left, delivered a perfect cross, and De Ketelaere beat the defenders in the six-yard box to find the back of the net.

The closing stages of the first half were open, with chances for both sides. Dodi Lukebakio almost doubled the lead with a header that bounced off the side of the post. For the USA, Balogun narrowly missed finding the net from a rebound following a corner.

Early in the second half, the United States spent more time on the attack but a mistake made life much easier for the Belgians.

In the 57th minute, goalkeeper Freese came out of his area and showed great skill to collect the ball. But he took too long to clear it, was dispossessed by De Ketelaere, and substitute Hans Vanaken, from outside the box, struck it first time and found the net. 3–1.

That third goal put the game to bed. Belgium sat deep and looked to launch counter-attacks through Jérémy Doku and Romelu Lukaku. The United States retained possession, passing the ball from side to side but struggling to penetrate the opposition’s box.

A clear chance for the Americans came only in the 78th minute, when Sebastian Berhalter controlled the loose ball near the edge of the box, struck it first-time with his left foot without letting it drop but the ball flew just wide of the post. Shortly after, the USA managed to send Balogun through on goal, but the striker was denied by a superb save from Courtois.

Time ticked away, a comeback looking increasingly unlikely and Belgium sealed the victory in stoppage time. Lukaku won the ball on the left following some pressing, struck a powerful right-footed shot and placed the ball into the top corner.

Belgium will now face Spain in the quarter-finals in Inglewood, California.