Story perspectives

Belgium Crushes USA 4-1, Pochettino Sent Off

7/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

Belgium defeated the United States 4-1 in the round of 16 in Seattle on July 6, 2026.
Charles De Ketelaere (9´, 33´), Hans Vanaken (57´) and Romelu Lukaku scored for Belgium and Malik Tillman netted the U.S. free-kick goal.
Matt Freese’s 57th-minute mistake led to Vanaken’s goal and resulted in Mauricio Pochettino’s red card and Christian Pulisic’s injury in the 59th minute.
66,925 fans watched Belgium move on to face Spain in the quarter-final, extending its unbeaten run to 18 games.

History

Historical Context

Belgium’s World Cup journey shifted from early exits—group-stage elimination in 1998 and a 2-0 round-of-16 loss to Brazil in 2002—to a historic fourth-place finish in Mexico 1986 and a third-place medal in Russia 2018. Those deep runs cemented the Red Devils as a regular knockout contender and boosted global media interest in Belgium’s matches.

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Story summary

Belgium defeated the United States 4-1 in the round of 16 in Seattle on July 6, 2026.
Charles De Ketelaere (9´, 33´), Hans Vanaken (57´) and Romelu Lukaku scored for Belgium and Malik Tillman netted the U.S. free-kick goal.
Matt Freese’s 57th-minute mistake led to Vanaken’s goal and resulted in Mauricio Pochettino’s red card and Christian Pulisic’s injury in the 59th minute.
66,925 fans watched Belgium move on to face Spain in the quarter-final, extending its unbeaten run to 18 games.

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