World Cup: De Ketelaere and Lukaku on target as Belgium eliminate USMNT
Quick summary
Belgium knocked the United States out of the World Cup, with Serie A players Charles De Ketelaere and Romelu Lukaku finding the net in the round-of-16 clash.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceGoals from Serie A stars Charles De Ketelaere and Romelu Lukaku helped Belgium eliminate the USMNT from the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 on Monday, securing a 4-1 win.
Rudi Garcia’s Belgium have progressed to the World Cup quarter-finals by eliminating co-hosts USMNT with a 4-1 victory.
Serie A stars took centre stage as Atalanta ace De Ketelaere scored a brace, earning him the Man of the Match award, while Napoli ‘s Romelu Lukaku netted Belgium’s fourth goal in stoppage time.
Belgium will face Spain in the quarter-finals.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JULY 06: Charles De Ketelaere #17 of Belgium heads to score the team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between USA and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 06, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images) Watch Lukaku and De Ketelaere’s goals
THE SEATTLE CROWD IS SILENT!!
De Ketelaere STUNS USA with an early goal #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/vSK5PnBpsH
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 7, 2026
Charles De Ketelaere bags his brace pic.twitter.com/EUpBXv9CpC
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 7, 2026
Lukaku adds the finishing touch to a dominant Belgian display!
The co-hosts have been dismantled. pic.twitter.com/HZinPxiu5I
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 7, 2026
Match highlights
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What happened
Belgium advanced past the United States in the World Cup knockout stage behind goals from Charles De Ketelaere and Romelu Lukaku, both of whom play their club football in Italy's Serie A. De Ketelaere, at AC Milan, and Lukaku, then on loan at Inter Milan from Chelsea, delivered in a match that ended Belgium's long wait for a deep World Cup run. The USMNT, managed by Gregg Berhalter, exited at the round-of-16 stage, failing to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.
Chance analysis
The result consolidates Belgium's status as a genuine knockout-stage threat while highlighting the continued importance of Serie A-based stars in the national team's spine. For the USMNT, elimination at this stage represents a missed opportunity to progress past a team in transition, and the performance will inform Berhalter's squad-building heading into the next cycle. Lukaku's contribution reinforces his role as Belgium's focal point despite a difficult club season.
Belgium progress to the World Cup quarterfinals with attacking confidence, while the USMNT face an early tournament exit and evaluation period.
Belgium's attacking depth, featuring in-form Serie A stars, was decisive against a USMNT side that struggled to convert possession into goals at the knockout stage.