Ragged co-hosts USA crash out of World Cup after 4-1 defeat to Belgium
The United States, co-hosts of the World Cup, have been eliminated from the tournament after a decisive 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the last-16 match.
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The United States Men's National Team has been eliminated from the FIFA World Cup 2026 after suffering a significant 4-1 defeat against Belgium in the Round of 16. The match, played in Seattle on Monday, July 6, saw the tournament co-hosts unable to advance further in their home World Cup campaign.
Belgium took an early lead, with Charles De Ketelaere scoring twice, while Malik Tillman briefly equalized for the USA with a free-kick. However, further goals from Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku secured Belgium's dominant victory, ending the Americans' hopes of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.
This loss marks the end of the road for the USMNT in their co-hosted World Cup, joining fellow host nations Canada and Mexico who were also eliminated in the last-16 stage. Belgium will now progress to face Spain in the quarterfinals.
What each outlet emphasizes
- CNN: reports on breaking down 36 disastrous hours for American soccer
- BBC: highlights Belgium's 'sense of injustice' and fans' reaction to US loss
- The Guardian: focuses on the 'ragged' performance and Belgium's 'barb' after Balogun controversy
- AP: confirms Belgium's 4-1 win and US defensive lapses
Read it at the source
aljazeera.com ↗ olympics.com ↗ ussoccer.com ↗ washingtonpost.com ↗ irishtimes.com ↗