Belgium overwhelms the United States in the Round of 16, with Charles De Ketelaere scoring twice, Romelu Lukaku sealing the rout and Mauricio Pochettino’s team exiting the World Cup after a night of defensive errors.
The United States dreamed big. Belgium ended that dream with authority.
Rudi Garcia’s team produced one of its best performances of the tournament, defeating the host nation 4-1 and booking a place in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals against Spain. After surviving a dramatic Round of 32 battle against Senegal, Belgium looked sharper, more confident and far more ruthless against the U.S.
The star of the night was Charles De Ketelaere.
The Atalanta forward, trusted again from the start by Garcia, gave Belgium the lead in the ninth minute after a smart assist from Raskin. His movement, timing and finishing immediately exposed the problems in the American back line.
The United States did find a response. In the 31st minute, Malik Tillman’s free kick took a deflection off Vanaken in the wall and beat Courtois, briefly bringing the hosts level and lifting the home crowd.
But the hope lasted only two minutes.
In the 33rd minute, De Ketelaere struck again, this time with a header from a Trossard cross. Belgium was back in front, and the match never truly returned to U.S. control.
The second half turned into a nightmare for Mauricio Pochettino’s team. Freese made a major mistake after coming outside his area, and Vanaken took advantage to make it 3-1 in the 57th minute, redeeming himself after the deflection on Tillman’s goal.
Then, in stoppage time, another American error finished the match. Richards gave the ball away, and substitute Romelu Lukaku punished the mistake with a right-footed finish to make it 4-1.
Lukaku’s celebration added another layer to the night. The Napoli striker put his hands to his ears, listening to the silence of the home crowd, and then broke into the now-famous “Trump Dance,” a provocative reference in front of the American fans.
For Belgium, it was a complete performance. De Ketelaere scored twice and was also involved in the move that led to Vanaken’s goal. Trossard provided quality and service. Raskin justified Garcia’s decision to start him. Doku and Lukaku both brought energy from the bench. Courtois stayed alert when called upon, including on Balogun’s best chance late in the game.
For the United States, the disappointment is enormous. The defensive mistakes from Freese and Richards were devastating. Christian Pulisic ended his tournament with a worrying injury and was forced off around the hour mark. Weston McKennie battled but never truly imposed himself. Folarin Balogun, cleared to play after days of controversy around his suspended ban, failed to make the impact the U.S. needed.
Tillman gave the hosts a moment of belief, but it was not enough.
Belgium moves on to face Spain, which eliminated Portugal thanks to a late Mikel Merino goal. La Roja may enter that quarterfinal as the favorite, but Belgium has now found rhythm, confidence and a front line capable of hurting anyone.
The United States exits early. Belgium keeps dreaming.
Match Report
Goals: 9’ De Ketelaere, 31’ Tillman, 33’ De Ketelaere, 57’ Vanaken, 90+3’ Lukaku
USA 3-5-2: Freese; Freeman, Richards, Ream; Dest (46’ Reyna), Adams (72’ Pepi), McKennie, Tillman, Robinson; Pulisic (59’ Berhalter), Balogun.
Head coach: Mauricio Pochettino
Belgium 4-3-3: Courtois; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Onana (21’ Vanaken), Raskin (89’ Witsel); Lukebakio (67’ Doku), De Ketelaere (67’ Lukaku), Trossard (89’ Saelemaekers).
Head coach: Rudi Garcia
Referee: Makhadmeh
Yellow cards: McKennie, Tillman
Red cards: None
Notes: Belgium advances to the quarterfinals against Spain. The United States is eliminated from the World Cup.
