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Belgium routed the United States 4-1 on Tuesday to eliminate the last remaining co-host from the FIFA World Cup 2026 and secure a place in the quarterfinals.
The United States became the third and final co-host to exit the tournament after Canada and Mexico were eliminated in the Round of 16. Canada fell 3-0 to Morocco, while Mexico suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat to England.
Belgium’s victory also made it the fifth European nation to reach the quarterfinals, underscoring the continent’s strong showing in the knockout stage.
The remaining Round of 16 matches will be played Wednesday, with defending champion Argentina facing Egypt and Colombia taking on Switzerland.
In another Round of 16 clash, Spain edged Portugal 1-0 to end Cristiano Ronaldo’s quest for a FIFA World Cup title. The tightly contested match between the two European powers was decided in stoppage time by Mikel Merino’s winning goal at Dallas Stadium.
Ronaldo had a pair of opportunities but was unable to break through Spain’s disciplined defense as Portugal’s tournament came to an end.
Spain will now travel to Los Angeles Stadium for a quarterfinal matchup against Belgium, which advanced after its convincing win over the United States. Despite the Americans fielding Folarin Balogun, Belgium remained in control throughout the match.
The first half of the Portugal-Spain encounter featured several scoring opportunities but no goals. Mikel Oyarzabal missed Spain’s best chance after being played through by Dani Olmo, while Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa made a key save to push Alex Baena’s curling effort around the post. Ronaldo came closest for Portugal when Nuno Mendes’ deflected shot struck the crossbar.
Both teams adopted a cautious approach after halftime as the match appeared headed for extra time. Instead, Spain found the breakthrough in stoppage time when substitutes Ferran Torres and Merino combined, with Torres setting up Merino for a low, decisive finish that sealed Spain’s place in the quarterfinals.
The match is expected to mark Ronaldo’s final appearance at the FIFA World Cup.
“This will be my last World Cup,” he reiterated in a pre-match interaction.
The 41-year-old finished his World Cup career with 11 goals in 27 matches and added to his legacy by becoming the first player to score in six different World Cup editions.
Belgium took control early against the United States with first-half goals from Charles De Ketelaere in the ninth and 32nd minutes.
The Americans responded through Malik Tillman in the 37th minute, but Belgium quickly regained control after the break.
Hans Vanaken extended the lead to 3-1 in the 57th minute before Romelu Lukaku added a stoppage-time goal to complete the 4-1 victory and eliminate the final co-host before the tournament reached the quarterfinal stage.
