Belgium beat the United States 4-1 in Seattle, delivering a comprehensive victory that overwhelmed the co-hosts on the biggest stage of the FIFA World Cup, according to the report. The match, played in front of a capacity home crowd, represented a stark reversal for a U.S. side that had shown its best form for almost a month.
The Red Devils controlled the game across the field, with Belgium’s midfield — highlighted by Leandro Trossard, Youri Tielemans and Dodi Lukébakio — dictating play for 90 minutes. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, opening the scoring in the ninth minute on a simple tap-in after a centering feed from Nicolas Raskin, who won a ball in the box while U.S. defenders, primarily Sergiño Dest, stood still.
The United States briefly equalized in the 30th minute when Malik Tillman scored from a deflected free kick, but Belgium immediately regained control. The report noted Belgium created clear chances that could have settled the match by halftime and that the Red Devils appeared dynamic despite missing Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku.
The U.S. performance was described as its worst in recent memory. Simple passes went astray, attacking spacing faltered, and the defense’s frailties were exposed. Mauricio Pochettino’s team, which played at home and included several players who were also at the 2022 World Cup, generated little in attack while Belgium pressed and converted chances.
The match also pushed the Balogun eligibility issue into the background. Folarin Balogun, whose suspension for a red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina had been lifted amid controversy — with President Donald J. Trump mentioned in reports as involved in that process — won the free kick leading to Tillman’s goal but was largely kept in check during the game. The result echoed a 5-2 friendly loss to the same Belgium side in March and served as a decisive turn in the U.S. tournament run.
