By Opta Analyst | Created at 2026-07-18 17:28:13 | Updated at 2026-08-03 00:16:14
3 weeks ago
United States’ Folarin Balogun led the coverage ahead of this last-16 World Cup tie, but Belgium forward Charles De Ketelaere stole the headlines in Seattle.
The United States‘ World Cup dream is over after being defeated 4-1 by Belgium at Seattle Stadium.
Charles De Ketelaere was the star of the show for Belgium, scoring twice in the first half before assisting Hans Vanaken in the second as Rudi Garcia’s side set up a quarter-final clash with Spain.
Belgium wasted no time in finding their rhythm, with Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans seeing shots blocked before Timothy Castagne was denied at full stretch by Matt Freese inside the opening 46 seconds.
De Ketelaere scored his first in the ninth minute, tapping in from close range after Nicolas Raskin pounced on a loose ball and sent a low cross into the six-yard box.
Belgium saw some of their momentum derailed when Amadou Onana was forced off with a knee injury, and the USA capitalised just after the half-hour mark when Malik Tillman’s free-kick was deflected past Thibaut Courtois.
Nevertheless, the co-hosts were behind again two minutes later when De Ketelaere climbed above Tim Ream to head in from Trossard’s left-wing cross.
It was a quieter second half by comparison, but a huge error from Freese took the match away from the USA; Vanaken scored from distance after the goalkeeper was tackled by De Ketelaere and caught in no man’s land.
Sebastian Berhalter and Folarin Balogun squandered the USA’s best chances late on, firing wide and forcing a save from Courtois respectively, while Romelu Lukaku came off the bench and added gloss to the scoreline with a clinical finish in stoppage time after a mistake from Chris Richards at the back.
No De Bruyne, No Problem
De Bruyne was an unused substitute as Garcia named four changes after his side’s late rescue act against Senegal, but Belgium’s other stars stepped up in their playmaker’s absence.
Trossard became the third Belgian player on record (since 1966) to score 2+ goals and provide 2+ assists in a single World Cup, after Eden Hazard in 2018 (three goals, two assists) and Jan Ceulemans in 1986 (three goals, two assists). Following this game, he leads the 2026 World Cup rankings for chances created (17).
De Ketelaere, meanwhile, became the first Belgian player on record to be directly involved in three goals in a single World Cup match (two goals, one assist).
Three of De Ketelaere’s eight goals for Belgium have been against the USA, the opponent which he has scored against the most.
Overall, Belgium accumulated 2.15 expected goals (xG) from 15 shots to the USA’s 0.67 from seven attempts, with Mauricio Pochettino’s men second best from the very first whistle.
The USA have been eliminated in the round of 16 in six of their seven appearances at this stage, including their last four appearances in the competition (2010, 2014, 2022, 2026).
Perhaps the pre-match drama surrounding Balogun, who saw his red card suspended, distracted the co-hosts, but the USA produced a strong campaign to build on nonetheless.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the USA vs Belgium stats from their 2026 FIFA World Cup last 16 meeting at Seattle Stadium on 6 July.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
USA 1-4 Belgium: Post-Match Opta Facts
- Belgium have reached the FIFA World Cup quarter-final for the fourth time, including the third time in the last four editions (2014, 2018, 2026).
- Belgium are the fifth UEFA team to reach this year’s FIFA World Cup quarter-final, the third consecutive edition where UEFA will provide over half the quarter-finalists (5 or 6 depending on whether Switzerland qualifies). It had happened only once in the previous four editions (6 in 2006).
- The USA have been eliminated in the round of 16 in six of their seven appearances at this stage, including their last four appearances in the competition (2010, 2014, 2022, 2026).
- Charles De Ketelaere (2 goals, 1 assist) is the first Belgian player on record (since 1966) to contribute to three goals in a single match in the FIFA World Cup or European Championships.
- Romelu Lukaku is the first player to score as a substitute in four different FIFA World Cup matches, including becoming the first to score in three different matches in a single edition.
- With an assist tonight, Leandro Trossard (2 goals, 2 assists) became the third Belgian player on record (since 1966) to score multiple goals and provide multiple assists in a single FIFA World Cup (Eden Hazard in 2018, Jan Ceulemans in 1986).
- Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku’s goals were the fourth and fifth by substitutes for Belgium at this year’s FIFA World Cup, the most of any team in the competition.
Enjoy this? Add Opta Analyst as a preferred source by clicking here.
Enjoy this? Subscribe to our football newsletter to receive exclusive weekly content. You should also follow our social accounts over on X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
