Karma on the Pitch: Belgium Boots U.S. From World Cup After Trump’s FIFA Intervention Was All for Naught

In the end, none of the backroom theater mattered.Whatever arm-twisting President Trump did to circumvent international soccer history and keep American Folarin Balogun on the pitch against Belgium didn’t matter.Playing inside a raucous sold-out stadium notoriously loud enough to intimidate visiting National Football League teams didn’t matter. Riding a month-long wave of domestic support for a sport that felt foreign to the mainstream for so many years didn’t matter.In the end, Belgium was simply too disciplined, too experienced, and too fiercely determined to win at all costs. America’s grand World Cup dream did not just end; it collapsed under the weight of tactical superiority and a harsh dose of global karma.Belgium’s clinical four to one throttling of the U.S. Men’s National Team Monday night in Seattle, not only eliminated the remaining host country from the 2026 FIFA World Cup but delivered a bruising reality check. For a nation that recently celebrated its 250th birthday, the defeat left a lasting impression on just how much improvement is needed if the Stars and Stripes are ever going to lift the trophy championship trophy.“It stinks,” American midfielder Tyler Adams said. “This was a moment to have an opportunity to advance and really try and do something special. We fell short.”The U.S. team failed once again to reach the quarterfinals. The last time it reached the Round of Eight was in 2002. It now must regroup to prepare for the 2030 World Cup to be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. Many questions must be answered before then: Will Mauricio Pochettino remain as coach? The U.S. hired the Argentinian to help the U.S. team achieve World Cup glory on its home soil. The Americans won three World Cup games for the first time — helped by an expanded 48-team field — but lost again in the same round as the last five pursuits. U.S. Soccer has reportedly offered him a four-year contract extension, but Mr. Pochettino, who earned $6 million-a-year on his current deal, has given no indication if he plans to return,“It’s time to rest a little bit, to have conversations and see what the decision is from the Federation and from us,” he said. “But I’m so happy, we built a very good relationship. Now is not the moment to talk about that.”Everything from roster construction, investment in coaching, player development, and scouting will be evaluated. Perhaps more importantly, can the momentum behind soccer survive. While the U.S. is out of the World Cup, the World Cup is still in the United States. Will U.S. interest diminish now. Most Americans do not feverishly follow soccer the way other countrymen do. The party isn’t so festive anymore. Not only has the men’s soccer team been eliminated, the involvement of the Trump administration, including a reported three phone calls from Mr. Trump to FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, has left a polarizing stain. FIFA’s shocking decision that resulted in Mr. Balogun becoming the first player in World Cup history to receive a red card and still play the next game, made the United States a villain throughout the majority of the football world and inspired Belgium. “There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field,” Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin told reporters after the game.Belgium took advantage of repeated defensive lapses by a slow-reacting United States to dominate throughout. The United States’ only moment of hope came when Malik Tillman scored on a free kick in the 31st minute to tie the game one-one after Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring with a header in the ninth minute.But before the partisan American crowd could finish celebrating, Mr. De Ketelaere rose above the crowd to send another head into the net at the 33rd-minute mark, prompting Mr. Pochettino to kick over several water bottles in frustration.Hopes for a U.S. upset in the Round of 16 all but vanished when U.S. goalie Matt Freese left the penalty area to try to clear the ball only to leave the net open for an easy score by Hans Vanaken at the 57th minute. Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku added a final easy goal during stoppage time, mocking the Trump dance during his celebration.“From the beginning we weren’t in the game,” Mr. Pochettino told reporters afterwards. “We congratulate Belgium. They were better than us. It wasn’t our day. We didn’t show what we normally show.”Moments after crushing American hopes, Belgium posted a two-word statement on social media that made its thoughts clear: “Overturn this.”The U.S. Round of 32 games against Bosnia and Herzegovina set an all-time U.S. viewership record for English-language soccer with an average of 24.4 million viewers with a peak audience of 31.8 million, according to Fox. Whether Americans stay interested in the sport, not just for the next couple of weeks, but the next four years, remains uncertain.“Our goal was obviously to inspire people that the sport was growing in the U.S., which I think we saw,” Mr. Adams said. “The support was unbelievable. In this moment, we let them down.”Belgium moves on to face Spain in the quarterfinals on Friday in Los Angeles, while the U.S. team exits the tournament following co-hosts Canada and Mexico, who were also eliminated in the Round of 16.

Karma on the Pitch: Belgium Boots U.S. From World Cup After Trump’s FIFA Intervention Was All for Naught

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