Belgium produced a dominant display to defeat the United States 4-1 on Monday, securing a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals and ending the co-hosts’ hopes of reaching the last eight for the first time in 24 years.

Playing at Lumen Field in Seattle, Belgium took control of the Round of 16 encounter through a clinical attacking performance. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, while Hans Vanaken capitalised on a goalkeeping error before substitute Romelu Lukaku sealed the victory with a late fourth goal.

The match was overshadowed by the return of Folarin Balogun, who was reinstated after FIFA suspended his one-match ban. Despite the pre-match attention surrounding his availability, the United States striker struggled to influence the game as Belgium dominated and created the better chances throughout.

After the match, Belgium captain Youri Tielemans revealed that the controversy over Balogun’s eligibility had motivated the team. He said the players responded by focusing on their performance rather than the off-field discussions.

The convincing win sends Belgium into the quarter-finals, where they will face Spain.