It happened in 2014, and on July 6, 2026, it happened again. Team USA’s World Cup journey came to an end after failing to beat the Belgians.
The Stars and Stripes fell to the Red Devils 4–1 in front of a home crowd in Seattle, even with their star striker Folarin Balogun.
Belgium came out strong and fast, drawing first blood after just nine minutes with a goal in traffic from Charles De Ketelaere.
Team USA would find the equalizer at the 31st minute on a penalty kick from Malik Tillman, but De Ketelaere silenced the still-cheering fans in Seattle by reclaiming the lead for his country just two minutes later.
Belgium will hold the lead through half-time and will increase it once again. Poor miscommunication between USA captain Tim Ream and goalkeeper Matt Freese resulted in poor handling of a soaring pass downfield and an open-net goal from Hans Vanaken at 57 minutes.
USA kept trying to break through the Belgian defense, but to no avail.
The Stars and Stripes only managed to get seven shots off in the 90-minute match, requiring only one save out of Belgium’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Belgium’s front 10 also blocked four shots.
Belgium also had better success closing passing lanes, and pressuring USA’s back line, forcing them to make costly mistakes.
The final blow came off the boot of Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku three minutes into stoppage time.
But Freese would end the game with three saves after facing 15 shots.
USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino made his frustration known throughout the game from his place on the sidelines, and admitted that Belgium was the better team that night.
“We need to assess that game, and we need to see why we didn’t approach the game in the same way that the rest of the World Cup,” he said in a post-game interview.
“Different reasons, maybe the explanation is so easy, it wasn’t our day collectively or individually. The principal person responsible is myself. We need to assess and see, it was not the performance or way we normally play.”
The United States has been in this disappointing situation before, falling to Belgium 2–1 in 2014 after its then-goaltender Tim Howard made a record 16 saves to keep his team in the game.
Belgium has now won the last nine straight matches it faced against Team USA. The last time the Americans beat the Belgians was in the first-ever World Cup in 1930.
Belgium goes on now to play Spain in the quarterfinals in Los Angeles on July 10.
USA’s loss means that all three host-nation teams are now eliminated from the World Cup.
This loss follows Mexico’s loss to England in Mexico City 3–2. Canada lost to Morocco 3–0 in Houston.
