Belgium ended the United States’ World Cup journey with a commanding 4-1 victory as Charles de Ketelaere scored twice to send his side into the quarter-finals and eliminate the last remaining tournament co-host.
The USA entered the match hoping to reach the last eight for the first time since 2002, but Mauricio Pochettino’s team struggled to make an impact in one of their biggest games in recent history.
Much of the attention before kick-off was focused on Folarin Balogun, who was available to play after Fifa suspended his automatic one-match ban for 12 months. The striker had been sent off against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the previous round, but the decision was reviewed after US President Donald Trump publicly said he had asked Fifa to reconsider the suspension.
Despite returning to the starting line-up, Balogun was kept quiet for most of the match as Belgium controlled proceedings. His best opportunity came late on from a tight angle, but goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois produced a strong save.
Belgium took the lead after just nine minutes when Nicolas Raskin’s pass across goal found De Ketelaere, who finished from close range. The hosts responded in the 31st minute when Malik Tillman’s free-kick deflected off Hans Vanaken and found the net.
However, Belgium needed only two minutes to restore their advantage as De Ketelaere escaped his marker and headed in Leandro Trossard’s cross for his second goal of the night.
The European side extended their lead after the break when De Ketelaere pressed goalkeeper Matt Freese into a mistake, allowing Vanaken to calmly finish from outside the penalty area.
Substitute Romelu Lukaku completed the victory in stoppage time with a low strike from a difficult angle. The goal also made him the first substitute in World Cup history to score three times in a single tournament.
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia’s decision to start De Ketelaere ahead of the country’s all-time leading scorer Lukaku proved crucial. The Atalanta forward had not scored at the tournament before the match but delivered his best performance when Belgium needed it most.
Garcia also made the bold call to leave Kevin de Bruyne on the bench, ending the midfielder’s run of 37 consecutive starts for the national team.
The defeat means the USA join fellow co-hosts Mexico and Canada in exiting the competition, while Belgium have now reached at least the quarter-finals in three of their last four World Cups.
Belgium will face European champions Spain in Los Angeles on Friday for a place in the semi-finals.