For a few glorious weeks, it felt like this time really would be different.
The U.S. men’s national team arrived at the 2026 World Cup with everything fans have been begging for: a roster stacked with players starting for top clubs across Europe, a proven winning coach in Mauricio Pochettino, and — for the first time in three decades — every single match on home soil. The group stage delivered too, with the Americans posting three straight wins over Paraguay, Australia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, the best group-stage run in program history. Stadiums were packed, ratings were up, and for once, the optimism didn’t feel delusional.
Then Belgium happened.
A Brutal Night in Seattle
Monday’s Round of 16 matchup ended the way this tournament always seems to end for the U.S. — eliminated by a European side, with a familiar sting attached. This time the final score was 4-1, and it wasn’t particularly close.
Belgium, ranked ninth in the world, took control almost immediately, capitalizing on American turnovers and defensive miscues to grab an early lead. Charles De Ketelaere put Belgium up 2-0 in the first half. The U.S. actually clawed one back through a Malik Tillman free kick, and for about ninety seconds, the crowd had something to believe in. Then Belgium answered right back, and any momentum evaporated. A second-half error from goalkeeper Matt Freese handed Belgium a third goal, and Romelu Lukaku added a stoppage-time finish to put the game away for good.
The Controversy That Overshadowed Kickoff
The match arrived wrapped in off-field drama that had nothing to do with tactics. Star striker Folarin Balogun — the team’s top scorer at the tournament — picked up a red card in the previous round against Bosnia-Herzegovina, triggering an automatic one-game suspension that would have kept him out of the Belgium match entirely.
Then, in an unusual turn, a FIFA disciplinary panel opted to delay that suspension by a full year, clearing Balogun to play. Shortly after, reports surfaced that President Trump had personally phoned FIFA president Gianni Infantino to push for the red card to be reconsidered. Belgium’s soccer federation objected to Balogun even being in the lineup.
In the end, none of it mattered on the scoreboard. Balogun played, the U.S. had its full squad available, and Belgium still won comfortably.
What It Means Going Forward
Belgium moves on to face Spain in the quarterfinals, continuing what’s now a habit of deep tournament runs. For the U.S., the takeaway is more complicated. This edition of the USMNT had arguably the most talent and hype the program has ever generated heading into a World Cup — and it still ran into the same wall that’s ended American runs in tournaments past.
That doesn’t erase the progress. A best-ever group stage, sold-out crowds, and a new wave of fans discovering the team in real time are all real wins, even if they don’t show up in the bracket. But if the goal was finally breaking through against elite European competition on the sport’s biggest stage, Monday night was a reminder of how far there still is to go.
The World Cup rolls on without the Americans. The conversation about what comes next for U.S. soccer is just getting started.
Where do you think the USMNT program goes from here? Sound off in the comments.
