Seattle (TDI): Belgium produced a dominant display to defeat co-hosts the United States 4-1 on Monday, booking a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals where they will face Spain.
Charles De Ketelaere starred with two goals as Belgium comfortably ended the United States’ hopes of reaching the last eight for the first time in 24 years. Hans Vanaken capitalized on a costly goalkeeping error before substitute Romelu Lukaku sealed the emphatic victory with a late fourth goal.
The match had attracted significant attention even before kickoff after US forward Folarin Balogun was cleared to play despite initially receiving a one-match suspension. FIFA’s decision to overturn the ban drew criticism from several quarters, while Belgium’s appeal against his eligibility was rejected before the match.
Belgium took an early lead through De Ketelaere in the ninth minute. The United States briefly restored hope when Malik Tillman equalized with a deflected free-kick in the 31st minute.
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However, Belgium responded almost immediately, with De Ketelaere restoring his side’s advantage two minutes later. Vanaken extended the lead in the 57th minute after US goalkeeper Matt Freese lost possession while attempting to clear the ball outside his penalty area. Lukaku completed the scoring deep into stoppage time.
The victory sends Belgium into a quarter-final clash against Spain in Los Angeles on Friday.
Earlier, Spain secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Portugal, ending what is expected to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s final FIFA World Cup appearance.
The match remained goalless until the opening minute of stoppage time, when substitute Mikel Merino finished calmly after a quickly taken free-kick to send Spain into the last eight.
Portugal captain Ronaldo, appearing in his sixth World Cup, struggled to influence the contest as Spain controlled much of the game. Portugal managed only two shots on target compared to Spain’s six.
Following the defeat, the 41-year-old confirmed that the tournament marked the end of his World Cup journey, although he said he would take time before deciding on the future of his international career.
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“It was my last World Cup, but I’ll take time to think about what’s next, spend time with my family and avoid making any rushed decisions,” Ronaldo said after the match.
Reflecting on his international career, the Portuguese star said winning the UEFA European Championship in 2016 remained one of his greatest achievements and was, in his view, as significant as lifting the World Cup trophy.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente praised his players after the hard-fought victory, describing the encounter as a contest worthy of a final. “It was a fantastic match. We had to work until the very end, but the team delivered a complete performance,” he said.
With victories over the United States and Portugal respectively, Belgium and Spain will now meet in a highly anticipated quarter-final as the race for the FIFA World Cup title continues.
