Picture : Charles De Ketelaere scored two goals against USA to qualify Belgium !
World Cup 2026 Statistics – Day 26 (July 6) – Round of 16
USA vs Belgium 1-4
*Belgium has become the first nation since Germany in 2010 to score at least three goals in each of its first two knockout-stage matches at a single World Cup (also 3-2 vs Senegal in round of 32).
*Belgium has scored four goals in a World Cup knockout match for the first time in 40 years, since their game against the Soviet Union (4-3) on 15 June 1986.
*Only France (14) has scored more goals than Belgium (13) at the 2026 World Cup.
*Belgium achieved the joint-second largest victory by a European nation against the host country at the World Cup, along with:
Mexico vs Italy 1-4 on 14 June 1970,
Brazil vs Netherlands 0-3 on 12 July 2014.
The largest ever remains Brazil vs Germany 1-7 on 8 July 2014.
*The United States suffered their heaviest World Cup defeat since 12 June 2006, against the Czech Republic (0-3).
*The United States have last conceded 4+ goals in a match in the World Cup on 10 June 1990, against Czechoslovakia (1-5).
*USA have been eliminated at the round of 16 in 6 of their 7 appearances at this stage in the FIFA World Cup, including each of their last 4 appearances in the competition.
*Charles De Ketelaere became the first player in history to be involved in three goals during a World Cup knockout match for Belgium (2 goals, 1 assist).
*De Ketelaere became the third player in history to score a brace for Belgium in a World Cup knockout match, following:
Bernard Voorhoof against Germany on 27 May 1934,
Youri Tielemans against Senegal on 1 July 2026.
*Romelu Lukaku is the first player to score as a substitute:
in 4 different World Cup matches,
in 3 matches during a single World Cup edition, also vs New Zealand and vs Senegal (Roger Milla in 1990, Rudi Völler in 1994 and André Schürrle in 2014 had 2 such matches each).
*Belgium became the nation with the joint-most (5) goals scored by substitutes in a single World Cup edition, along with:
Cameroon in 1990
Italy in 2006
Germany in 2014
*Lukaku is the first ever Belgian player to score 3+ goals at multiple World Cup tournaments (2018, 2026).
*Malik Tillman became the second player to score two direct free-kick goals in a single World Cup tournament, following:
Bernard Genghini for France in 1982.
*Axel Witsel made his 2026 World Cup debut, playing a few minutes against the United States.
Thus, he became the 6th Belgian who played in four World Cups, after:
Franky Van der Elst
Enzo Scifo
Thibaut Courtois
Kevin De Bruyne
Romelu Lukaku
*Folarin Balogun (USA) became the second player to play a World Cup match despite having received a red card in his previous game in the competition, following:
Garrincha for Brazil against Czechoslovakia on 17 June 1962 (final; red card in semi-final vs Chile; was forgiven).
*Rudi Garcia (Belgium coach) became the second French coach to qualify for the World Cup quarter-finals with a foreign national team, following:
Bruno Metsu with Senegal in 2002.
*With Canada, Mexico and USA all eliminated, France remains the last host nation to win the World Cup (in 1998).
France also the last nation to win a Euro final on home soil (in 1984).