Belgium eliminated the United States from the World Cup on Tuesday with a commanding 4-1 victory in a last-16 match held at Seattle’s Lumen Field. The win sets Belgium up for a quarter-final clash against Spain in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring for Belgium in the ninth minute and added a second goal shortly after the United States briefly equalized through Malik Tillman’s deflected free kick in the 31st minute. Hans Vanaken extended Belgium’s lead to 3-1 in the 57th minute following a costly error by US goalkeeper Matt Freese, who lost possession after rushing outside his penalty area. Substitute Romelu Lukaku sealed the victory with a goal during stoppage time.

The match was overshadowed by controversy surrounding US striker Folarin Balogun, who was initially suspended for one game but was cleared to play after a last-minute decision by FIFA, reportedly influenced by lobbying from US President Donald Trump. Despite starting the match, Balogun had little impact on the game.

Belgium captain Youri Tielemans said the controversy surrounding Balogun served as extra motivation for his team. “We held a meeting when we heard the news,” Tielemans said. “We told ourselves we needed to do our talking on the pitch. That’s what we did today. I’m very proud of the team.”

US coach Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged his team did not perform to their usual standard. “Today we were not the same team that we have been during the tournament,” he said. “It was a very bad day — it wasn’t our day in a collective and individual way.”

The match marked a disappointing end for the United States, who had hoped to reach their first World Cup quarter-final in 24 years. Belgium’s Nicolas Raskin expressed that his team felt a sense of injustice from FIFA’s decision but were determined to respond through their play.

Belgium now prepares to face Spain, who advanced after a 1-0 victory over Portugal, in the upcoming quarter-final.