{"id":51524,"date":"2026-07-07T10:28:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T10:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/51524\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T10:28:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T10:28:51","slug":"world-cup-usa-crashes-out-in-4-1-defeat-to-belgium-spain-through-with-1-0-win-over-portugal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/51524\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup: USA crashes out in 4-1 defeat to Belgium, Spain through with 1-0 win over Portugal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Belgium put the controversy and comments aside to thrash the United States 4-1 in their World Cup round of 16 clash in Seattle.<\/p>\n

The USA, who named Folarin Balogun in the starting line up after his controversial reprieve from FIFA, looked completely overawed by the occasion as the Red Devils ran riot.<\/p>\n

Check out the full World Cup schedule here<\/a> in Australian timesABC Sport podcast: Check out the latest episode here<\/a><\/p>\n

Balogun had been controversially allowed to play despite being sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with US President Donald Trump acknowledging that he had called FIFA boss Gianni Infantino prior to his ban being overturned.<\/p>\n

That resulted in a chorus of condemnation from across the footballing world, including an “astonished” Belgian FA, who said it had “informed the United States Soccer Federation that it contests the eligibility of the player, should the player be listed on the referee’s team sheet,” adding that “all further actions” remained open to the federation.<\/p>\n

In the end, the controversy, not of the USA team’s making it must be stressed, appeared to get to the hosts far more than the visitors.<\/p>\n

Charles de Ketelaere scored two goals in the first half, before Malik Tillman’s deflected free kick halved the deficit before the half time break.<\/p>\n

But even after scoring the USA were quiet, Balogun had just 10 touches, fewer than anyone else on the field, in a desperately quiet first half.<\/p>\n

“Everyone saw from the beginning that we did not connect with the game, we were never in the game,” Mauricio Pochettino said after the match.<\/p>\n

“Even when we scored, we scored the goal for 1-1, we conceded in the next action. It was really tough from the beginning.<\/p>\n

“Congratulations to Belgium, they were better than us. It wasn’t our day.”<\/p>\n

In the second period the Belgians continued to press, and made that pressure count after a woeful error in the US goal from Matt Freese, who blundered an attempted clearance and lost possession straight to Hans Vanaken.<\/p>\n

Romelu Lukaku finished the rout after another poor error at the back, powering in his third goal in as many games as the Belgians set up a quarterfinal clash with Spain.<\/p>\n

Spain set up that tie with an injury time finish from Mikel Merino to snatch a 1-0 win over Portugal in a cagey affair in Dallas.<\/p>\n

The match appeared to be the final one at a World Cup for Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the field in tears after the full time whistle.<\/p>\n

Portugal’s coach Roberto Mart\u00ednez, who was heavily criticised for playing Ronaldo throughout the tournament, resigned after the defeat. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:57pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:57pm<\/p>\n

Time for us to go\"Simon\"\"(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

I am going to say good bye there.<\/p>\n

As I said, we have two big games tomorrow as we wrap up the quarterfinal line-up, starting at a very unpleasant 2am AEST.<\/p>\n

I am sure it will be worth it though, as Lionel Messi and Mohammed Salah go head-to-head for a spot in the quarters.<\/p>\n

Thanks for being with me on what was an extraordinary day of football and off the field shenanigans.<\/p>\n

I’ll be glad when we can just talk about the football again.<\/p>\n

Thanks for being with us, we’ll see you tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:51pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:51pm<\/p>\n

Further proof the USA didn’t do enough\"Simon<\/p>\n

As they say, the stats don’t lie, and the USA were found seriously lacking.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:50pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:50pm<\/p>\n

Two more games tomorrow\"Simon<\/p>\n

Well folks, we’re starting to get to the pointy end of the tournament now.<\/p>\n

The final last 16 clashes take place tomorrow.<\/p>\n

AND GOOD NEWS FOLKS! They’re going to get started at an ungodly hour of the day.<\/p>\n

Here are tomorrow’s matches:<\/p>\n

2:00am AEST (1:30am ACST, 12:00am AWST) \u2014 R16: Argentina vs Egypt @ Atlanta Stadium
6:00am AEST (5:30am ACST, 4:00am AWST) \u2014 R16: Switzerland vs Colombia @ BC Place Vancouver<\/p>\n

It is, without a doubt, worth getting up that early to watch Lionel Messi though, so I’m so glad, in advance, that you’ll all be joining me.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:46pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:46pm<\/p>\n

All the hosts are out\"Simon<\/p>\n

Canada fell first to Morocco.<\/p>\n

Mexico then departed after a chaotic clash against England.<\/p>\n

And now the USA are out too.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:29pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:29pm<\/p>\n

Big Rom is getting efficient\"SimonTue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:25pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:25pm<\/p>\n

‘We were never in the game’: Pochettino\"Simon\"\"(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Here’s the US coach, Mauricio Pochettino.<\/p>\n

“Everyone saw from the beginning that we did not connect with the game, we were never in the game,” he says.<\/p>\n

“Even when we scored, we scored the goal for 1-1, we conceded in the next action. It was really tough from the beginning.<\/p>\n

“Congratulations to Belgium, they were better than us. It wasn’t our day.<\/p>\n

“It’s not to find excuses or not to find arguments because we didn’t show normally what the team can show and that is the reality.<\/p>\n

“We need to learn. It is a process to learn and assess the game and understand why we did not approach the game in the same way as the rest of the World Cup.<\/p>\n

“It wasn’t our day collectively or individually.<\/p>\n

“The principal person responsible is myself. We need to assess and see, it was not the performance or way we normally play.”<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:22pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:22pm<\/p>\n

Full time stats\"Simon<\/p>\n

The USA may have had more possession.<\/p>\n

But they did nothing with it.<\/p>\n

Does make you wonder whether all the attention that was put on them unfairly by forces way outside their control had a far more detrimental affect on them than the Belgians.<\/p>\n

Just two shots on target is not good enough.<\/p>\n

They were well beaten.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:19pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:19pm<\/p>\n

Speaking of Lukaku…\"Simon<\/p>\n

I reckon he enjoyed scoring that goal, didn’t he?<\/p>\n

\"\"(Getty Images)Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:18pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:18pm<\/p>\n

Gotta feel for Onana too\"Simon\"\"(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Amadou Onana was taken off in the first half.<\/p>\n

He looked to have done a serious knee injury and reappeared with a brace on his right knee and crutches to help him walk.<\/p>\n

Romelu Lukaku held up Onana’s shirt when he scored his goal, too.<\/p>\n

It’s a disappointment on what was an otherwise perfect night for the Belgians.<\/p>\n

\"\"(Getty Images)Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:13pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:13pm<\/p>\n

Feels for Freese\"Simon\"\"(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Have to feel a little bit sorry for Matt Freese.<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old had a shocker for the third Belgian goal.<\/p>\n

He is not the reason America lost today.<\/p>\n

But it certainly didn’t help.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:12pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:12pm<\/p>\n

It would have to be some phone call…\"Simon<\/p>\n

It’s not over yet. I think Trump is about to make a phone call!<\/p>\n

– Paul <\/p>\n

LoadingTue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:11pm<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 12:11pm<\/p>\n

You guys were very happy with that result…\"Simon<\/p>\n

Belgium were great! Justice prevails and we move on.<\/p>\n

– KB<\/p>\n

Lovely to see that DT’s shameful red card intervention & FIFA’s capitulation came to nothing.<\/p>\n

– Alex51<\/p>\n

Lovely to see that DT’s shameful red card intervention & FIFA’s capitulation came to nothing.<\/p>\n

– Justice is done!<\/p>\n

Watching the love heart reaction numbers go up on ABC online. Surely there aren\u2019t that many Belgians watching. You guys need a schadenfreude button!<\/p>\n

– Drew<\/p>\n

How does the saying go – Cheats never prosper !<\/p>\n

– Mel<\/p>\n

If Belgium win, the result will be the equivalent of the football gods saying \u201cYOU SHALL NOT PASS!\u201d to Balogun and the president who shall not be named\u2026<\/p>\n

– Jonathan<\/p>\n

The number and speed of reactions on the latest Belgium goal post in the blog is a real indication of the USA sentiment in Australia and likely, around the world right now….<\/p>\n

– Maria<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:59am<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:59am<\/p>\n

FT: Belgium knocks the USA out\"Simon\"\"(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

And then there were none.<\/p>\n

Belgium eliminated the last of the World Cup co-hosts, the USA, 4-1 with a dominant victory in Seattle.<\/p>\n

With all the pre-match controversy relating to the inclusion of Florian Balogun, the USA barely laid a glove on the Belgians, who picked the Americans off at will.<\/p>\n

Two goals from Charles de Ketelaere gave the Belgians a 2-0 lead, which the Americans halved against the run of play via a deflected freekick from Malik Tillman.<\/p>\n

Hans Vanaken scored Belgium’s third after a horror mistake by keeper Matt Freese, before Romelu Lukaku powered home a fourth in stoppage time to race into a quarterfinal contest against Spain.<\/p>\n

Balogun, about whom so much had been made pre-game, was anonymous for long periods.<\/p>\n

He had fewer touches of the ball than anyone in the first half with 10, and only tested Courtois once late in the second half as the USA managed just two shots on target for the entire contest.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:57am<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:57am<\/p>\n

90+3′ LUKAKU SEALS IT!\"Simon\"\"(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

SILENCE IN SEATTLE!<\/p>\n

The USA loses the ball in a really rubbish position.<\/p>\n

The ball falls to Lukaku on the edge of the penalty area, he takes a touch and slots the goal past Freese.<\/p>\n

It is so easy for Lukaku.<\/p>\n

It has been really quite easy for Belgium.<\/p>\n

The USA have wilted under the pressure.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:57am<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:57am<\/p>\n

90+2′ Junk time subs for the USA\"Simon<\/p>\n

Balogun and Robinson are leaving the field.<\/p>\n

I don’t know the point of these changes.<\/p>\n

Max Arfsten comes on, as does Haji Wright.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:55am<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:55am<\/p>\n

90+1′ Just four additional minutes\"Simon<\/p>\n

Not enough time, I don’t think.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:55am<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:55am<\/p>\n

Time running out for the USATue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:54am<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:54am<\/p>\n

89′ Ch ch ch ch changes for Belgium\"Simon<\/p>\n

Both teams ring the changes.<\/p>\n

Alexis Saelemaekers comes on, so does Axel Witsel.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:51am<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:51am<\/p>\n

85′ Chance Belgium!\"Simon<\/p>\n

Doku links up with Lukaku.<\/p>\n

He can’t get a shot away and the ball drops out of a pack of players back to Doku, who lays the ball off to Trossard.<\/p>\n

He cuts inside and shoots and the ball is powered into the head of Richards.<\/p>\n

The USA survive.<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:48am<\/p>\n

Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:48am<\/p>\n

82′ Chance USA!\"Simon<\/p>\n

The USA has a corner and the delivery is a good one, but the USA attackers are crowded out around the penalty area and Courtois made an easy stop.<\/p>\n

Show more postsABC Sport Daily podcast<\/a><\/p>\n

ABC Sport Daily is your daily sports conversation. We dive into the biggest story of the day and get you up to speed with everything else that’s making headlines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Belgium put the controversy and comments aside to thrash the United States 4-1 in their World Cup round…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":51525,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5005,2881,1870,3358,22246,1876,22245,1726,21930,17,5947,22247,369],"class_list":["post-51524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-spain","tag-2026-world-cup","tag-belgium","tag-cristiano-ronaldo","tag-fifa-world-cup","tag-folarin-balogun","tag-live","tag-live-updates","tag-portugal","tag-portugal-vs-spain","tag-spain","tag-usa","tag-usa-vs-belgium","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}