U.S. knocked out of World Cup after 4-1 loss to Belgium

Belgium ended the United States’ World Cup run with a 4-1 victory in the Round of 16 on Monday night, a defeat that sent the co-hosts home and made Charles De Ketelaere the decisive figure with two goals and an assist. The loss landed after days of turmoil over Folarin Balogun’s suspension, a controversy that had already drawn in President Donald Trump and intensified the pressure around the U.S. team’s home tournament.

Balogun was sent off in the United States’ July 1 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina after a clash with an opposing player’s foot in the second half, and the automatic one-game ban briefly threatened to leave Mauricio Pochettino’s side without one of its attacking options. FIFA lifted that suspension before the Belgium match, but Balogun had little impact as Belgium exposed the Americans’ defensive problems and controlled the game from the decisive stages onward.

For U.S. fans, the result quickly became about more than the scoreline. The backlash around Balogun’s red card and the president’s public acknowledgment that he spoke with FIFA before the suspension was lifted fed a sense that the tournament had slipped beyond soccer and into politics. Belgium’s players widened that divide after the final whistle by mocking the controversy on social media, including a reference to Trump’s dance celebration.

The timing made the collapse harder to absorb. The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and the United States entered the knockout round carrying the weight of being one of the hosts. Instead of a deep run at home, the team left in the Round of 16, and the exit confirmed that all three co-hosts are now out of the tournament.

Belgium moves on to face Spain in the quarterfinals in Los Angeles on Friday. For the Americans, the defeat closed a campaign that began with broad expectations and ended with a 4-1 loss, a disciplinary dispute and a sharper political edge than anyone inside the stadium wanted to see.