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World Cup 2026: Belgium beats co-host USA 3-1; Spain eliminates Portugal in round of 16

Belgium ended the United States' home World Cup run with a 3-1 victory on July 6, while Spain beat Portugal in the other round-of-16 match to set up the quarterfinal bracket alongside Norway, England, and the remaining round-of-16 winners

Sports· concluded How Life Changes ·7 takes · ·rbtfl upd Jul 7, 2026
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The split

The same story, as told by newsrooms in different countries. Their words, attributed and linked.

Qatar

Al Jazeera

“Belgium claimed a 3-1 last-16 World Cup win as a sloppy USA fell to their opponents despite Balogun's suspension row dominating pre-match talk.”

international / pan-Arabread the original ↗

United States

Fox Sports

“The USA just couldn't keep up with Belgium, which knocked the Americans out of the World Cup with a composed 3-1 victory.”

US sports broadcastread the original ↗

Qatar

Al Jazeera

“Spain left it late to beat Portugal and reach the quarterfinals, ending the tournament run of the Portuguese side.”

international / Spain-Portugalread the original ↗

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Summary

Belgium eliminated the United States from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 6, beating the co-host 3-1 in the round of 16. Malik Tillman scored for the US on a direct free kick but Belgium controlled the match throughout, with coach Mauricio Pochettino's side failing to convert enough chances on home soil. In the earlier match, Spain beat Portugal in an Iberian derby to reach the quarterfinals. The results set the quarterfinal bracket: Belgium face one of the remaining round-of-16 winners, while Spain's opponent will be determined by results elsewhere. United States exits the tournament it is co-hosting alongside Canada and Mexico, the first World Cup played across three nations, having won three matches to advance from the group stage.

The split

US outlets (Fox Sports, US Soccer) treat the defeat as a quality gap against a stronger side, stopping short of calling it a failure of the overall US Soccer programme. Al Jazeera gives more weight to the pre-match controversy over Balogun's suspension and the atmospheric irony of the US losing a home tournament in the round of 16. Spanish and Portuguese outlets are not in this feed batch; the Iberian result is covered through Al Jazeera and aggregator output, which focus on Spain's advance rather than Portugal's exit.

By the numbers

  • 3-1, Belgium's winning margin over the USA
  • 3, Malik Tillman's second World Cup goal (free kick); Belgium scored three unanswered after Tillman's opener
  • 8, quarterfinalists confirmed after these two matches, alongside Norway, England, and others
  • 48, matches in the expanded 48-team World Cup 2026 first round

Why it matters

The US exit in the round of 16 reduces host-nation pressure on the rest of the tournament's commercial and broadcast metrics in North America. Belgium, having knocked out a co-host, becomes a genuine contender for the title. Spain's win keeps the defending European Championship holder in contention and sets up a bracket path where they could face Norway or England in the semi-finals.

What to watch

  • Belgium's quarterfinal opponent and whether their Round of 16 performance translates to QF
  • Spain's draw in the quarterfinals and their depth without injured players from the Iberian derby
  • US Soccer's response to an early exit from the home World Cup and the pressure on Pochettino's tenure

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