USA ends World Cup run against Belgium in Round of 16

The Stars and Stripes finished their campaign with a 3-0-2 record.

SEATTLE – The FIFA World Cup 2026 continued as the United States of America fell 4-1 against Belgium in the Round of 16 at Seattle Stadium in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Belgium opened the scoring to pull ahead in the 9’, with Charles De Ketelaere striking from close range to capitalize on a pass across the face of goal from Nicolas Raskin.

Malik Tillman equalized for the hosts in the 31’ from a free kick.

De Ketelaere restored Belgium’s lead in the 33’, heading home a cross from Leandro Trossard. Hans Vanaken added a third for Belgium in the 57’. Romelu Lukaku rounded out the win for the Europeans with a late goal in the 90’+3’.

The result sees the USA close out its World Cup campaign with a 3-0-2 record.

United States vs Belgium – Post-Match Facts

• The United States recorded its best-ever FIFA World Cup campaign in terms of victories and goals scored, finishing the 2026 tournament with three wins and 11 goals—both new national records for a single edition.
• Malik Tillman became only the second player since detailed records began in 1966 to score two direct free-kick goals in a single FIFA World Cup, joining France’s Bernard Genghini, who achieved the feat in 1982.
• Tillman also became just the second U.S. player to score multiple goals in FIFA World Cup knockout-stage matches, matching Landon Donovan with two.
• Malik Tillman scored his fifth international goal and, for the first time in his United States career, found the net in consecutive matches.
• The United States finished the 2026 FIFA World Cup with eight first-half goals, the highest total of any nation in the tournament. It also surpassed the Americans’ previous best first-half scoring output across an entire World Cup edition.
• Weston McKennie completed three defensive line-breaking passes against Belgium, raising his tournament total to 16—five more than any other player at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• Weston McKennie was the only U.S. player to start all five matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He also reached nine FIFA World Cup starts in his career, tying Eddie Pope for the fifth-most in U.S. history, behind Landon Donovan (12) and Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride, and Claudio Reyna (10 each).
• The United States produced both the player with the most duels contested (Malik Tillman, 18) and the player with the most duels won (Alex Freeman, 10) in the match against Belgium.