RECAP: United States eliminated by Belgium following 4-1 loss in FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16

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The United States Men’s National Team’s run in FIFA World Cup 2026 came to an end on Monday evening following their 3-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16. Charles De Kettelaere (2), Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku all got on the scoresheet Red Devils, while Malik Tillman tallied the lone goal for the Stars & Stripes.

After a slow start to the tournament, Belgium came flying out of the gates against the United States on Monday evening.

In the 8th minute, a quick combination play from the Red Devils down the right flank led to a cutback for Youri Tielemans at the penalty spot, but the Aston Villa midfielder scuffed his shot.

Belgium took the lead a minute later following a defensive miscue from the United States. Club Brugge midfielder Nicolas Raskin pounced on a loose ball in the box and drove toward the end line before firing a pass to the far post. Atalanta striker De Ketteleare jumped in front of his marker and swept it home from close range for a 1-0 lead.

The Americans responded in the 31st minute as Tillman once again produced a moment of magic from a set piece. The Bayern Leverkusen playmaker’s swerving free kick from 30-yards out took a deflection off the Belgian wall, wrong-footing goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois as the ball struck the back of the net.

Team USA’s celebrations were short-lived as the Belgians retook the lead three minutes later. Arsenal FC attacking midfielder Leandro Trossard beat a pair of American defenders before firing a cross into the six-yard box for De Kettelaere to head into the top corner.

Belgium nearly extended their lead in the 43rd minute when Hugo De Cuyper’s curled set piece found a wide-open Dodi Lukébakio inside the box, but his headed effort flashed wide of the post.

After a disappointing start, the Stars & Stripes came out with much more energy after the halftime break. But their bright start was undone by a combination of defensive errors in the 57th minute.

Matt Freese came racing out of the box to intercept a Belgian long pass, but then got the ball stuck under his feet before losing the possession to De Kettelaere.  Hans Vanaken pounced on the loose ball and struck a first-time shot from distance that a recovering Tim Ream was unable to clear for a 3-1 lead.

The match took on a slower tempo for the next 20 minutes, until substitute Sebastian Berhalter nearly scored a fantastic goal. Belgium failed to fully clear a dangerous cross from Weston Mckennie and Berhalter raced onto the loose ball before unleashing a venomous volley that flew inches wide of the post.

In the 82nd minute, Gio Reyna played Balogun into space behind the Red Devils’ back line, but the Monaco man was denied by an impressive save from Courtois.

Lukaku added an exclamation point to the victory as he punished a poor clearance from the Americans to finish in the bottom corner in stoppage time, wrapping up the 4-1 victory for Belgium.

Key Takeaways

Seattle Shows Out

Despite the result, Monday’s Round of 16 match was a showcase for the undeniable passion for soccer in the Pacific Northwest. Tens of thousands of fans flooded the waterfront and Pioneer Square hours before the match. Prior to kickoff, a sold-out crowd of 66,925 fans belted out renditions of Take Me Home, Country Road and the National Anthem.

And when Tillman scored his equalizer in the first half, the stadium shook as city that helped build the United States’ soccer culture celebrated in unison.

Mistakes Punished

After enjoying several near flawless performances in wins over Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, the Americans were undone in the Round of 16 by several uncharacteristic mistakes. Three of Belgium’s four goals came from giveaways in the United States’ defensive end. The match was ultimately decided on those individual moments.

Hosts All Out

Following Canada’s 3-0 loss to Morocco and Mexico’s 3-2 defeat to England, all three host nations at FIFA World Cup 2026TM were eliminated in the Round of 16.

Joseph Mondello