Soccer still has defenses against injustice. Or against the most blatant intrusion from political power into a World Cup that anyone can remember. On Monday evening in Seattle, Belgium earned on the pitch what the United States had also tried to secure from the White House: the Red Devils thrashed their opponents 4–1 and advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, where they will face Spain this Friday in Los Angeles.
Folarin Balogun, the U.S. striker reinstated at Donald Trump’s request and with FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s approval —in a move that broke with FIFA precedent — was on the field, but it was almost as if he had not played at all. Perhaps weighed down by the controversy that erupted after lawyers from the Trump administration stepped in, the United States’ leading scorer at the World Cup was the starter who saw the least of the ball, managing just 19 touches before being replaced in the 92nd minute without ever threatening Thibaut Courtois’s goal. It was also Mauricio Pochettino’s side’s flatest performance of the tournament, as though the fallout from the scandal had drained the freshness they had shown in their opening matches.
Belgium, who had narrowly escaped elimination against Senegal in the previous round, played as though driven by a sense of sporting justice. Dominant from start to finish, they took control through two first-half goals from Charles De Ketelaere before Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku completed the rout after the break. The United States’ exit also marked the elimination of the last remaining host nation in the tournament: all three hosts fell at the same stage, the round of 16. Canada had gone out on Saturday and Mexico on Sunday.
As happens at every World Cup, the cameras dutifully — and almost obligatorily — found Gianni Infantino before kickoff. This time, however, the FIFA president sat stern-faced in the stands in Seattle, as though troubled by the controversy sparked by Trump’s intervention, or perhaps worried that his concession would ultimately prove futile. Down on the pitch, the United States began the match out of sorts.
Balogun seemed to carry that burden throughout. By the 23rd minute, he had been involved less than anyone else on the field, with only three touches. The United States’ top scorer looked as though he were playing in shackles. Unlike the side that had impressed at the start of the tournament, Pochettino’s team never looked constrained throughout, lacking the usual spark of Sergiño Dest and Christian Pulisic and struggling against a Belgium side that once again left Kevin De Bruyne and Lukaku on the bench at the start. After 10 minutes, the visitors had already managed six shots to the hosts’ none. They were also 1–0 up.
The United States struggled to cope with Belgium’s attacks down the left. Charles De Ketelaere’s two goals, in the ninth and 33rd minutes, were carbon copies of one another. The first came after a surging run by Nicolas Raskin. The second followed a burst down the flank from Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard, who was outstanding throughout. After the Atalanta forward completed his brace, Pochettino vented his frustration by kicking over the drinks bottles beside the bench, fully aware that the afternoon was already beginning to reek of elimination.
In between, in the 31st minute, the United States briefly levelled. Jordanian referee Adham Mohammad Makhadmeh appeared unwilling to echo the criticism Trump had directed at Brazilian official Raphael Claus — whom he had labelled “very suspect” for sending off Balogun against Bosnia — and awarded a foul on the Monaco striker by Brandon Mechele that appeared not to exist. Malik Tillman took the free kick. It looked a straightforward save for Thibaut Courtois, but the ball took a deflection off Hans Vanaken and found the net. The equalizer lasted only two minutes.
If the United States had limped through the first half, in the second it deepened its lifeless performance, as if reverting to its early-1990s showings when MLS was just getting started. A mistake by goalkeeper Matt Freese allowed Vanaken — Onana’s injured replacement — to score at the 13th minute of the second half. And near the end, with U.S. fans resigned to defeat in a stadium where little could be heard beyond occasional cries of “USA,” Lukaku scored his third goal of the tournament to make it 4–1.
Spain will now take on a Belgian side that handled an unprecedented situation with dignity and pride. Trump will reappear at the final: according to Infantino, the U.S. president will present the World Cup trophy.
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