Belgium ended the United States' FIFA World Cup campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory at Seattle Stadium on Monday. Charles De Ketelaere starred with two goals and an assist as Belgium secured a place in the quarter-finals, where they will face Spain. The USA struggled to match Belgium's intensity throughout the contest and fell behind early before eventually crashing out of the tournament.
Charles De Ketelaere Inspires Belgium Victory
Belgium started the match on the front foot and created several early chances. Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans both had shots blocked, while goalkeeper Matt Freese produced an excellent save to deny Timothy Castagne inside the opening minute.
Belgium finally broke the deadlock in the ninth minute. Nicolas Raskin won possession and delivered a low cross into the six-yard box. De Ketelaere arrived at the right time and tapped the ball home from close range to give Belgium a deserved lead.
USA Equalise Before Belgium Strike Again
Belgium suffered a setback when midfielder Amadou Onana left the field with a knee injury. The USA took advantage of the disruption just after the half-hour mark.
Malik Tillman's free-kick took a deflection and wrong-footed Thibaut Courtois before finding the back of the net to level the score. However, Belgium restored their lead only two minutes later. Leandro Trossard delivered a precise cross from the left, and De Ketelaere rose above Tim Ream to head home his second goal of the night.
Belgium Seal the Match After Goalkeeper Error
The second half was less eventful, but Belgium remained in complete control. The turning point came after a costly mistake by Matt Freese. De Ketelaere closed down the USA goalkeeper and won possession outside the penalty area. Hans Vanaken then calmly scored from long range into an empty net to extend Belgium's lead.
The USA pushed forward in search of a comeback. Sebastian Berhalter fired wide, while Folarin Balogun forced a save from Courtois with one of America's few clear chances. Belgium added a fourth goal deep into stoppage time. Chris Richards lost possession at the back, and substitute Romelu Lukaku punished the mistake with a clinical finish to complete the 4-1 victory.
Belgium Shine Without Kevin De Bruyne
Belgium achieved the impressive win despite leaving Kevin De Bruyne on the bench for the entire match. Head coach Rudi Garcia made four changes after his side's dramatic victory over Senegal in the previous round. The decision paid off as Belgium's other attacking players delivered an outstanding performance.
Leandro Trossard continued his excellent tournament by becoming only the third Belgian player since 1966 to score at least two goals and provide at least two assists in a single FIFA World Cup. The Arsenal winger also leads the 2026 World Cup with 17 chances created.
De Ketelaere also entered the record books. He became the first Belgian player to contribute directly to three goals in a single World Cup match after scoring twice and providing one assist. Interestingly, three of his eight international goals have come against the United States, making them the opponent he has scored against most often.
USA Exit in Round of 16 Again
Belgium dominated the match from start to finish. They produced 15 shots and recorded an expected goals (xG) value of 2.15, while the USA managed only seven attempts and an xG of 0.67. Mauricio Pochettino's side never looked comfortable against Belgium's high-quality attack.
The defeat continued the USA's disappointing record in the knockout stages. The Americans have now been eliminated in the Round of 16 in six of their seven appearances at this stage, including each of their last four World Cup campaigns in 2010, 2014, 2022 and 2026.
The hosts also entered the match after pre-game uncertainty surrounding Folarin Balogun, whose red card suspension had been overturned. Despite the heavy defeat, the United States produced several encouraging performances during the tournament and will look to build on that progress in future competitions.