Dallas: The American dream of winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil has come to a crashing end. The host nation, USA, was knocked out of the tournament after a heavy 4-1 defeat to a powerful Belgian side in the pre-quarter-finals.
Charles De Ketelaere was the hero for Belgium, scoring a fantastic brace. Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku also got on the scoresheet for the dominant European team.
Folarin Balogun’s return couldn’t save the day
Even the return of their star player, Folarin Balogun, wasn’t enough for the Americans. Balogun, who was suspended for one match after a red card, got a special clearance from FIFA to play in this crucial game. This news had given the hosts a huge boost, but it couldn’t fix the team’s leaky defence, which ultimately cost them the match.
Total dominance by Belgium
Belgium was in control right from the first whistle. They took full advantage of the mistakes made by the American defenders, scoring two goals in the first half itself.
The situation got worse for the USA early in the second half. A massive blunder by their goalkeeper, Matt Freese, gifted Belgium their third goal. Freese made a wrong pass, which was easily picked up by Hans Vanaken, who made no mistake in putting the ball into the net. To rub salt in their wounds, Romelu Lukaku scored in the third minute of injury time, sealing a dominant victory for Belgium.
Next up: A quarter-final clash with Spain
With this win, Belgium has booked its spot in the quarter-finals. They will now face Spain, who are coming off a big win against Portugal in their pre-quarter match. The clash between an in-form Belgium and a strong Spanish side promises to be a nai-biter.