Belgium secured a 4-1 win against the USA in the FIFA World Cup round of 16, eliminating the host nation from the tournament. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, with additional goals from Hans Vanaken and substitute Romelu Lukaku. The match, held in Seattle before 67,000 fans, was marked by controversy surrounding USA forward Folarin Balogun.

Balogun, who had been suspended for a red card in the previous round against Bosnia and Herzegovina, had his ban controversially lifted by FIFA after a request from US President Donald Trump. Despite starting in the lineup, Balogun was largely ineffective during the match.

Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin described the win as a measure of justice following FIFA's decision on Balogun. The USA’s performance drew widespread criticism on social media, with some users mocking the team’s display and calling it more embarrassing than the prior 48 hours.

With this victory, Belgium will face Spain in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the USA, along with other cohosts Canada and Mexico, exited the tournament after a flat showing.

Separately, a video from Malaysia went viral showing a Chinese tourist berating hotel staff for not displaying China’s flag among those of the 48 nations competing in the World Cup finals. Commenters pointed out that China has not qualified for the World Cup since 2002. The tourist’s tone was criticized as emblematic of a sense of entitlement among some Chinese travelers abroad.

Sources