Belgium 4-1 USA: De Ketelaere double ends the hosts' World Cup
Belgium beat the USA 4-1 in the World Cup 2026 round of 16, with a De Ketelaere brace. FIFA ruled Belgium's protest over the Balogun case inadmissible.
The hosts’ World Cup ended at home, and there was no arguing with it. Belgium thrashed the United States 4-1 in the round of 16 in Seattle overnight, booking a quarter-final against Spain — the same side that knocked Portugal out in Dallas.
Charles De Ketelaere owned the night: he opened the scoring inside ten minutes, struck again after Malik Tillman had equalised with a free kick, and set up another goal for good measure. In between, a glaring error by goalkeeper Matt Freese in the 57th minute gifted Belgium a 3-1 lead, and Romelu Lukaku wrapped things up in stoppage time. The full match sheet is on the FIFA match centre.
What happened to Belgium’s protest over the Balogun case?
It collapsed, quickly. The Belgian federation had challenged the decision that suspended Folarin Balogun’s ban after Trump’s phone call, which cleared him to play. FIFA’s Appeal Committee ruled the request inadmissible: Belgium was not a party to the proceedings and therefore had no standing to appeal. On the pitch, the row became academic — Belgium settled the matter themselves, with football.
Who do Belgium play in the World Cup quarter-finals?
Spain, who still haven’t conceded a goal in the tournament. The American players insisted afterwards that the Balogun circus was no excuse for the performance — and after watching those four goals, it’s hard to disagree. For the USA, there’s the awkward feeling of throwing the party and leaving before dessert.
By Vasco Almada
Image: Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
