Live score: USA suffers a heavy defeat to Belgium, exiting the 2026 World Cup round of 16.
On 7 July 2026, in the 2026 World Cup round of 16, matchday 3, the USA faced Belgium. The co-hosts started star striker Folarin Balogun, who was a controversial figure after FIFA postponed his one-match red card suspension from the round of 32 to a one-year ban.
In the first half, at the 9th minute, Belgium quickly took the lead 1-0. Nicolas Raskin darted into the penalty area and crossed the ball in front of goal, where Charles De Ketelaere scored with a close-range finish.
At the 31st minute, the USA equalized 1-1 from a free kick just outside the penalty area. Malik Tillman curled the ball, which deflected off the Belgian wall and changed direction, leaving Thibaut Courtois diving the wrong way and unable to recover.
But at the 33rd minute, Belgium regained the lead 2-1. Leandro Trossard delivered a cross into the middle, and Charles De Ketelaere rose above host defender Tim Ream to head the ball into the net.
In the second half, Belgium extended their lead to 3-1 due to a mistake by USA goalkeeper Matt Freese, who poorly cleared the ball, allowing Hans Vanaken to shoot from outside the box and score.
During injury time at 90+3 minutes, Belgium sealed the victory after a defensive error by the USA failed to clear the ball. Substitute Romelu Lukaku intercepted and confidently finished into the far post.
The match ended with Belgium winning 4-1, advancing to the quarterfinals to face Spain on 10 July. The USA's journey ended here, making all three co-hosts—Mexico, Canada, and the USA—eliminated from the tournament.