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Belgium Thrash USA To End World Cup Dream, Set Up Spain Showdown
The defeat capped a tumultuous 24 hours for the World Cup co-hosts, who were lifted by FIFA’s shock reprieve of Balogun on Sunday — a decision which brought widespread condemnation across the football world.
Belgium Thrash USA To End World Cup Dream, Set Up Spain Showdown The defeat capped a tumultuous 24 hours for the World Cup co-hosts, who were lifted by FIFA’s shock reprieve of Balogun on Sunday — a decision which brought widespread condemnation across the football world.
You said: Belgium Thrash USA To End World Cup Dream, Set Up Spain Showdown The defeat capped a tumultuous 24 hours for the World Cup co-hosts, who were lifted by FIFA’s shock reprieve of Balogun on Sunday — a decision which brought widespread condemnation across the football world.
Belgium emphatically eliminated the United States from the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a dominant 4-1 victory in their Round of 16 clash at Seattle’s Lumen Field . The high-stakes match was entirely overshadowed by a massive political controversy involving US striker Folarin Balogun and US President Donald Trump, which ultimately served as a powerful motivator for the Belgian squad.
The Match Details
Despite the pre-match drama, Belgium ruthlessly dismantled Mauricio Pochettino’s side on the pitch.
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- Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring for Belgium in the 9th minute.
- Malik Tillman briefly brought the US level with a deflected free-kick in the 31st minute.
- De Ketelaere quickly struck again just two minutes later to restore the Belgian lead.
- Hans Vanaken capitalized on a major goalkeeping error by Matt Freese to score a third in the 57th minute.
- Substitute Romelu Lukaku sealed the 4-1 thrashing with a stoppage-time goal.
With this exit, the United States joined Mexico and Canada, meaning all three tournament co-hosts were eliminated in the Round of 16. Belgium now advances to a blockbuster quarter-final showdown against Spain on Friday in Los Angeles.
The Folarin Balogun Red-Card Controversy
The “tumultuous 24 hours” mentioned in the text stems from an unprecedented intervention in tournament rules. Balogun had received a straight red card in the Round of 32 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which mandates an automatic one-game suspension.
However, US President Donald Trump personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to complain about the decision. Following this political lobbying, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee shockingly suspended Balogun’s ban for a probationary year, enabling him to start the match.
The Backlash and Aftermath
FIFA’s decision sparked immense outrage across the football world. UEFA accused FIFA of “crossing a red line” that compromised the integrity of the tournament, while prominent figures like former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp heavily criticized the move. The Royal Belgian Football Association lodged an official appeal contesting Balogun’s eligibility, but FIFA dismissed it out of hand right before kickoff.
Ultimately, the reprieve did little to help the Americans. Balogun was largely anonymous throughout the 91 minutes he played. Instead, Belgium capitalized on what midfielder Nicolas Raskin called a “sense of injustice” to fuel their performance. To cap off the night, several Belgian players openly mocked the controversy by mimicking Donald Trump’s signature dance moves during their goal celebrations