The journey of all the host nations in the 2026 World Cup has officially come to an end. After Canada and Mexico were eliminated earlier, it was now the turn of the United States (US) to end its run after being thrashed 1-4 by Belgium in the Round of 16 match at Seattle Stadium on Tuesday morning, July 7, 2026.
The defeat of the US ensures that no host country representatives remain in the race for the trophy. Previously, Canada was eliminated by Morocco after suffering a 0-3 defeat at Houston Stadium last weekend. On Monday, July 6, 2026, it was Mexico’s turn to be ousted following a dramatic 2-3 loss to England.
The hopes of the US football public to see their national team advance further were dashed by a highly effective Belgium side, despite not starting their star playmaker, Kevin De Bruyne. Charles De Ketelaere became the star of Belgium’s victory with two quick goals in the 9th and 33rd minutes. The US briefly kept their hopes alive after Malik Tillman narrowed the deficit in the 31st minute. However, Belgium pulled away again through Hans Vanaken in the 57th minute before Romelu Lukaku sealed the goal fest in stoppage time.
The victory felt even more impressive because Belgium did not rely on their senior players. Rudi Garcia kept De Bruyne on the bench instead, yet his team continued to dominate the game. On the other hand, the US was able to field their star forward Folarin Balogun again after FIFA suspended his red card sanction. However, the forward’s presence failed to alter the course of the match.
Belgium’s victory was also due to a blunder made by US goalkeeper Matt Freese. In the 57th minute, during a Belgian attack, Freese came out of his defense to gain possession of the ball. At that moment, he secured the ball which had been under De Ketelaere’s control.
However, Freese did not seem to have good control of the ball at his feet. Under pressure from De Ketelaere who was behind him, he accidentally directed the ball to the center, where Vanaken was waiting to immediately unleash a long-range shot. Freese was in no position to chase it down. The ball was actually heading toward US defender Tim Ream, but Vanaken’s shot appeared to be very powerful, causing the ball to fly past the American captain and into the net.
Pochettino admitted to being highly frustrated and disappointed with his team’s defeat. “I am very frustrated and disappointed with the people who should understand this situation. This is not an excuse. Today was simply not our day,” Pochettino said, as quoted by Reuters.
From the Belgian camp, coach Rudi Garcia expressed his appreciation to the supporters who continued to provide their backing despite having to watch the match at an unfriendly hour. “To everyone who woke up in the middle of the night to support us, I want to say a huge thank you,” Garcia said on FIFA’s official website. He assessed that the resounding victory over the host nation demonstrated Belgium’s true quality as one of the world’s football powerhouses. “They should be happy and proud of their players today. We showed that Belgium is a great football nation,” he said.
The victory over the United States propels Belgium to the quarterfinals to face Spain at Los Angeles Stadium on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
