A shambolic end for the American dream – did Balogun saga play a part?Figure caption, Belgium make light work of USA to set up quarter-final tie with SpainByGary RoseBBC Sport journalist at Seattle StadiumPublished7 July 2026, 06:00 BSTIt all started with the usual razzmatazz that has come to be seen at United States’ World Cup games – a boisterous and patriotic fanbase, fireworks, smoke flares and a military flyover. But the American dream of winning the tournament for the first time fizzled out in shambolic fashion in the early hours of Tuesday morning with a hugely disappointing defeat by Belgium.The US lost 4-1 – their heaviest defeat since 1990 – while the lively atmosphere that had been a feature of their previous games fell flat long before the final whistle, with Belgium’s fourth goal prompting a stream of fans to leave the Seattle Stadium.
This exit at the last-16 stage for the tournament co-hosts came at the end of a whirlwind couple of days, where headlines had been dominated by Fifa’s controversial decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red card from the previous game, allowing him to start this encounter.
Their run to this stage had appeared to capture the attention of the nation but all that positivity appeared to take a hit by the Balogun saga, something not lost on the Belgians before the game.
“It’s great to have the world on our side against the United States,” full-back Timothy Castagne mentioned before the match.
Balogun mentioned he was not surprised the decision was “controversial”.
“I accepted the decision when I was given the red card, and then I also accepted the decision when I was told I could play,” he mentioned.
“There’s not too much else I can really say on the matter.”
Just how much did that impact the US team, and where did it ultimately go wrong for Mauricio Pochettino’s side?
