The match drew significant attention even before kickoff after American forward Florian Balogun was cleared to play despite initially facing a one-match suspension following a red card
WASHINGTON: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-July 7th, 2026) Belgium secured a place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating hosts the United States 4-1 in their Round of 16 clash on Monday night.
The match drew significant attention even before kickoff after American forward Florian Balogun was cleared to play despite initially facing a one-match suspension following a red card.
FIFA had temporarily deferred the suspension, allowing him to feature in the knockout fixture.
Belgium had challenged FIFA's decision by filing an appeal against Balogun's eligibility, but the appeal was rejected, enabling the striker to take part in the match.
Ahead of the encounter, US President Donald Trump commented on the high-profile fixture while speaking to reporters at the White House.
Trump said both teams would take the field at full strength and added that if Belgium emerged victorious, it should take pride in its achievement.
He also made a light-hearted and sarcastic remark, saying that if the United States lost, he would describe the match as "fixed," drawing a comparison with his repeated claims about the 2020 US presidential election. He added, however, that he would not elaborate further on the matter.
Belgium dominated the match to record a convincing 4-1 victory, eliminating the tournament hosts and booking their place in the last eight of the competition.
The result ended the United States' World Cup campaign, while Belgium advanced with confidence to the quarter-finals, where they will continue their bid for FIFA World Cup 2026 title.
