Belgium celebrating victory over US Photo CNN
By Victory Oghene
Despite featuring striker Folarin Balogun, the United States’ dream of qualifying for the the quarterfinals of the 2026 world cup was dashed with a 4-1 defeat by Belgium.
Balogun was permitted to play following a suspended red-card ban, a last-minute decision that prompted backlash from UEFA.
Belgium defeated the United States 4-1 in the World Cup Round of 16 in Seattle, knocking the Americans out of the tournament. Charles De Ketelaere led the Belgians with two goals, alongside goals from Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku, while Malik Tillman scored the lone goal for the US.
With the victory, Belgium advances to the quarter-finals to face Spain.
Recall that President Donald Trump had said that the march between Belgiumand US would be viewed as rigged like the ‘2020 rigged election’ If Balogun is not allowed to play
Trump made the remarks while addressing the controversy surrounding the US team’s preparations for Monday’s knockout match in Seattle.
He insisted that both teams must be allowed to field their strongest line-ups
He spoke during an Oval Office event in Washington marking the launch of “Trump Accounts,” an investment scheme for children.
The president argued that the integrity of the match depended on both sides having their best players available, amid ongoing debate over Balogun’s eligibility.
He said, “This game would have a big mark on it. If we lost, if we won, no matter what happened, you have to let them use their best players. And the game tonight’s gonna be amazing, and we’re gonna have a full team, and Belgium’s gonna have a full team.”
Trump went further by saying that if Belgium were to defeat the United States without Balogun featuring, he would consider the outcome to have been unfair.
“And you know what? If they beat us, then they can be really proud. The other way, if they beat us, we’ll say it was, I say it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020, but I won’t get into that.
