United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino accepted responsibility for his team’s elimination from the FIFA World Cup 2026 following a 4–1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16 at Seattle Stadium on July 7.
Pochettino acknowledged that the hosts never found their rhythm during the match, stating to FOX Sports, “Everyone saw that from the beginning, we did not connect with the game. Even when we scored the equalizer, we conceded with the next action. It was really tough; we didn’t show what we can normally show. We need to see why we didn’t approach the game in the same way we did the rest of the World Cup. Maybe the explanation is easy, and it just Wasn’t our day collectively and individually.”
He took full responsibility for the outcome, adding, “The principal responsibility falls on me, but it wasn’t the way we normally play.”
Belgium advanced to the quarter-finals with a commanding victory, highlighted by Charles De Ketelaere’s brace, which earned him the Player of the Match award. Hans Vanaken scored his first FIFA World Cup goal, and substitute Romelu Lukaku added a stoppage-time strike, marking his third consecutive World Cup match with a goal.
Belgium dominated the majority of the match despite a brief equalizer from Malik Tillman via a deflected free-kick. A goalkeeping error by Matt Freese further allowed Belgium to extend their lead before Lukaku sealed the win late in the game.
The defeat ended the United States campaign, making them the last of the three co-host nations to exit the tournament following Canada and Mexico. Belgium is scheduled to face Spain in the quarter-finals on July 10, after Spain eliminated Portugal in the Round of 16.
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