The United States is out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. Men’s National Team lost 4-1 to Belgium in Seattle Monday night, crashing out in a dismal showing after beginning to feel hope following their impressive group showing.
From before the match ever began, the good vibes that had surrounded this team had started to wane, and ultimately, off-pitch controversy seemed to suck the energy out of what had been a vibrant team.
The red card saga
Before a ball was even kicked, the match was mired in controversy. United States striker Folarin Balogun was sent off with a red card in their 2-0 Round of 32 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina, triggering an automatic single-game suspension. FIFA, the tournament’s organizer, does not have an appeal process, meaning the U.S.’s best player would miss the match against Belgium.
That is, however, until news broke on Sunday morning that FIFA had made the unprecedented move to “suspend” or delay the suspension until a later date after the tournament.
FIFA has the discretion to “suspend the implementation of a disciplinary action,” Article 27 of its disciplinary code reads. FIFA had never used this power at a World Cup, but controversially used it before the tournament to allow Cristiano Ronaldo, who was issued a three-match ban for violent conduct during a qualifying match, to play in the group stage.
The Balogun scenario was made even more complicated by President Donald Trump calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request information about the suspension and urge him to overturn it.
The unprecedented decision, as well as the appearance of governmental interference from a host country, caused outrage around the world. Belgium issued its own appeal to FIFA and released a statement hinting at the potential to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
UEFA, the governing body of European football, also released a statement expressing its disbelief at the ruling, while other coaches at the tournament expressed similar sentiments.
The match
The United States was second best from the opening whistle. Belgium scored its first goal inside 10 minutes, as Sergiño Dest failed to clear a simple loose ball in the box and Tim Ream got caught in no-man’s-land at the back post, allowing Charles De Ketelaere to sneak in for an easy finish. Minutes after Malik Tillman equalized on a free kick, De Ketelaere restored Belgium’s lead, rising over Ream for a dominant header.
Dest was pulled from the match at halftime after a dismal showing, and his replacement, Gio Reyna, started to shift momentum back toward the United States with some inventive passing in the final third.
Unfortunately, another self-inflicted wound sealed the United States’ defeat when goalkeeper Matt Freese came off his line and inexplicably passed a simple ball directly to a Belgian attacker, giving them a third goal in absolutely disastrous circumstances.
Winger Christian Pulisic, often viewed as the most talented player ever produced by the United States and the face of the national team, left the match with an ankle injury after a completely anonymous showing – he managed just four shots in the entire tournament, fully failing to make an impact on the biggest stage.
By the time Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku added a fourth goal, the life had been fully sucked out of the U.S. team.
What’s next?
For all the excitement and energy and positive momentum of the group stage and Round of 32, the Balogun drama and absolute drubbing by Belgium might have set this team back. With the eyes of the nation and the world on them, playing at home against an opponent that seemed beatable, the USMNT put in one of the worst performances in program history.
With record numbers of fans tuning in on TV, this tournament and this match were a once-in-a-generation chance to push soccer forward into the mainstream. It did break through, for a moment. The Balogun saga and group stage performance certainly broke into the cultural discussion, and perhaps it will stick.
In the moment, though, it feels like yet another missed opportunity by a team that hasn’t really taken a meaningful step forward on the world’s biggest stage since 2002.
Ben Wright is a founder and executive editor for SixOneFive Soccer. For more, visit www.sixonefivesoccer.com.