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Belgium Defeats USA 4-1 in World Cup Round of 16 Amid Controversy Over Referee Decision

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First reported by N12 · 3 hours ago

What happened

Belgium defeated the United States 4-1 in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16, advancing to face Spain in the quarterfinals. The match was marked by controversy over a red card given to US player Polarin Balogun, which Belgium players said motivated their strong performance. Belgium’s official social media mocked the US, and the team emphasized their own merit in the win.

01Belgium beat the USA 4-1 in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals.
02A controversial red card to US player Polarin Balogun motivated Belgium’s performance.
03Belgium’s social media mocked the US, insisting the sport is called football, not soccer.
04Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and said the team’s win was due to their own effort.
05Captain Youri Tielemans said the referee decision "lit a fire" under Belgium.
06Coach Rudy Garcia and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois praised Belgium’s strong team display.

Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.

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