Belgium produced a dominant display to defeat co-hosts USA 4-1 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, booking a quarter-final clash with Spain.
Charles De Ketelaere starred with a first-half brace, while Hans Vanaken scored his maiden World Cup goal before substitute Romelu Lukaku sealed the emphatic victory late on. Malik Tillman briefly levelled for the USA after De Ketelaere’s opener, but Belgium restored their advantage within two minutes and never looked back. A costly defensive error by goalkeeper Matt Freese gifted Belgium a third goal as the Red Devils extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches across all competitions.
The defeat also confirmed the elimination of all three co-hosts from the tournament after Canada and Mexico.