NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Team USA’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is over.
Belgium, in front of a sold-out American crowd in Seattle, beat the USMNT 4-1, in a match where they took full advantage of their opponent’s errors.
Charles De Ketelaere was the man who not only scored just nine minutes into the game for Belgium, but his goal in the 39th minute prompted Team USA manager Mauricio Pochettino to kick water bottles to the sidelines.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Christian Pulisic of the United States during the first half against Belgium in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Seattle, United States. (Photos by John Todd/ISI)
The reason? Malik Tillman, who scored a free kick against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Bay Area round of 16 victory, scored another just in front of the Belgian box, which deflected off a Belgian defender and sent off legendary goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to tie the match at one apiece.
The momentum was back for the USMNT at that point, in the 37th minute. But once again, the American defense resulted in an easy goal for De Ketelaere right in front of Matt Freese’s net.
US coach MAURICIO POCHETTINO kicks Powerade bottles in frustration as team’s first half defense looks shaky
Freese, however, made a huge mistake in the second half that crushed the momentum he had built as he went down a goal.
In the 57th minute, the situation completely changed when Freese decided to leave his net as De Ketelaere chased the ball. Freese was the first to get there, but as he tried to clear the ball, his foot got stuck in the turf.
United States of America goalkeeper Matt Freese reacts after Belgian midfielder Hans Vanaken scored against him as Belgian players celebrate during the second half of a World Cup Round of 16 knockout match between the United States and Belgium at Lumen Field on Monday, July 6, 2026 in Seattle, WA. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
In a desperate attempt, he tried to kick it with his right foot, but De Ketelaere got in his way and Hans Vanaken kicked Freese and Ream, who could not turn his body to save it for one of the worst goals allowed by a team at this World Cup.
Overall, it wasn’t Team USA’s best effort when they needed it most in the round of 16.
To make matters worse, Pochettino was forced to replace Christian Pulisic, nicknamed ‘Captain America’, after a shot attempt resulted in an injury. Pulisic was kicked on the right foot when a Belgian defender stepped in front of him. Instead of kicking the ball, Pulisic belted the Belgian defender’s back heel, and the Belgian defender fell in obvious pain.
Pulisic tried to get out of it, but with an obvious limp, Pochettino sent on Sebastian Berhalter instead.
As for the most notable fact of this match, Folarin Balogun, who became available after FIFA invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code to suspend his red card, was not a big factor for the team. Belgium did a good job of strengthening their defense, and Balogun never had a clear look to find the back of the net like he did in previous matches.
The United States tried desperately to get back into the match, particularly when Berhalter narrowly missed a ball past Courtois, but the ball went wide left. However, Belgium did their defensive duty and refused to allow what Senegal did to them in the round of 16: a miraculous comeback in the second half.
Charles de Ketelaere of Belgium celebrates with teammate Dodi Lukebakio after scoring his team’s second goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Instead, Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian superstar striker, put a cherry on the cake of their victory with a stoppage-time goal past Freese in the second half. It was quite a statement on a match they dominated throughout.
As expected, it was a sad group for the United States after the loss, while Belgium celebrated their place in the quarterfinals where they will face Spain later this week.
