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U.S. hopes of a historic World Cup run on home soil shattered in loss to Belgium
SEATTLE — For three weeks, it was the best World Cup ever for the U.S.
The Americans scored more goals, won more games and generated more interest than any U.S. team in history. But all that glory gave way to grief Monday when a 4-1 loss to Belgium brought the U.S. crashing back to Earth.
Belgium never trailed, getting two first-half goals from Charles De Ketelaere and two in the second half from Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku to clinch a spot in the tournament quarterfinals, where it will face Spain on Friday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. For the U.S., whose lone goal came from Malik Tillman, its World Cup ended in the round of 16 for a fourth straight time.
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U.S. vs. Belgium World Cup live updates: Start time, how to watch and news
Follow along for live updates and highlights as the U.S. faces Belgium in a World Cup round-of-16 match in Seattle at 5 p.m. PDT (Fox, Telemundo).
U.S. hopes of a historic FIFA World Cup run on home soil are shattered in a heartbreaking 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 at Lumen Field in Seattle.
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Mikel Merino sends Spain to quarterfinals, ends Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career
ARLINGTON, Texas — Mikel Merino scored in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, and Spain beat Portugal 1-0 on Monday to end the World Cup career of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Merino had just been knocked down, and a foul was called. While a Portugal player argued, Merino played the ball back in, ran toward the goal and easily beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa after taking a pass from Ferran Torres.
Spain advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since winning its only World Cup title in 2010 in South Africa. La Roja will play either the United States or Belgium on Friday in Inglewood, California.
Ronaldo was trying to get Portugal to the quarterfinals in a second consecutive tournament for the first time. Instead, the career on soccer’s biggest stage is over for the all-time leader in international goals (146) and appearances (233).
Merino didn’t enter until the 85th minute, and his heads-up play showed some of the versatility that helped Arsenal win its first Premier League title in more than 20 years this spring. He had been doubtful to make Spain’s squad because of injuries that also impacted his Premier League season.
The latest meeting of Iberian Peninsula rivals that first played in a friendly in Madrid 105 years ago was quite the contrast to their most recent World Cup match.
It was eight years ago that Ronaldo had his only World Cup hat trick in a 3-3 draw with Spain in a group stage opener that is considered one of the tournament’s best games.
The 41-year-old superstar scored three times in this tournament, but didn’t have many chances against Spain’s Unai Simón, who extended his World Cup record to 609 minutes without conceding a goal. Spain became the first team to record six straight shutouts at the World Cup.
Hawkins writes for the Associated Press.
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Spain holds on for win, eliminating emotional Cristiano Ronaldo
Spain 1, Portugal 0, final
Portugal pushed for an equalizer in stoppage time, but every ball sailed far from goal and out of danger.
It is expected to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup match for Portugal after becoming the only player to score in six men’s FIFA World Cup tournaments.
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Spain finally scores in stoppage time
Spain 1, Portugal 0, 90th minute + 1
In the first minute of stoppage time, Spain moved the ball among three players just beyond the box before Ferran Torres turned and slid the ball Mike Merino. Merino found space in the middle of the box and booted the ball to the past Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
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Goalkeepers are the stars of Spain-Portugal showdown
Portugal 0, Spain 0, 68th minute
Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa and Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón have been top performers so far this match.
Costa has four saves and Simón has two. Both have generally directed their defense well and have made routine plays to avoid any danger.
In a match that is so close, avoiding mistakes is critical.
The teams had a chance to regroup during the hydration break in the 68th minute.
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Spain, Portugal scoreless at halftime
Portugal 0, Spain 0, halftime
The game leveled out a bit after an early Spain surge, but the Spaniards went to the halftime break with a slight edge in creativity.
Portugal’s best looks were in the 37th and 41st minutes, Cristiano Ronaldo’s shot blocked and João Félix’s cannon hitting the crossbar and clanging out.
Spain’s best look was a shot by Mikel Oyarzabal that sailed wide right of goal in the ninth minute.
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Spain puts early pressure on Portugal
Portugal 0, Spain 0, third minute
Spain has applied early pressure on Portugal’s defense, with Mikel Oyarzabal’s shot in the third minute saved.
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Born in Brooklyn, raised in London, Folarin Balogun lights up the World Cup for the U.S.
SEATTLE — If a pregnant Nigerian woman had been allowed to board a plane 25 years ago, the U.S. team’s path through this summer’s World Cup may have unfolded much differently. Instead, a gate agent turned her away, insisting it wasn’t safe for her to fly from New York to London.
So Florence Balogun returned to Brooklyn, where she had been visiting relatives, and waited for her second son to be born. And when Folarin arrived a few weeks later, entering the world just hours before Independence Day dawned, he did so as an American citizen.
It was that quirk of fate that allowed Balogun, who lived just two months in the U.S., to represent the country on soccer’s biggest stage.
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‘The clear choice by far.’ Why rising U.S. star Alex Freeman chose soccer over the NFL
SEATTLE — Growing up the son of an NFL wide receiver, Alex Freeman said he felt a lot of pressure to play the American version of football, not the one the rest of the world plays.
“I always got asked if football was the path,” he said last summer. “But I always had a secret love for soccer.”
And he had to keep it a secret because he wasn’t sure his father Antonio, a Super Bowl winner with the Green Bay Packers, would understand.
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Pico Rivera’s Cristian Roldan may be last made-in-high-school U.S. World Cup star
SEATTLE — Cristian Roldan and Haji Wright grew up less than three years and 30 miles apart, Roldan in Pico Rivera and Wright in Culver City. The odds that they would go on to become teammates on not one, but two, U.S. World Cup teams seem astronomical.
Yet despite starting at the same time and place and arriving together at the same destination, the two players followed completely different paths to get there.
Wright joined the Galaxy’s academy at 14 and signed with Schalke of the top tier German Bundesliga days after his 18th birthday. Roldan was still playing for El Rancho, when he was 17, making him the only member of the U.S. World Cup team to play four years at a public high school.
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Fox embraces a hybrid ad approach during World Cup hydration breaks after backlash
Fox has adopted a new split-screen approach to ads during the World Cup’s mandatory hydration breaks, after a stir among viewers over how it had been handling the pauses.
At the start of the tournament, the network aired full-screen ads during the three-minute breaks, cutting away from the field during the opening match between Mexico and South Africa. Soccer fans complained that they were missing on-field action, and the backlash mounted.
By the Mexico-South Korea match last week, Fox had changed course, running split-screen advertisements for the first time: two side-by-side panels, one keeping the camera on the stadium while the other played a commercial. The approach hasn’t been consistent, though. For Friday’s U.S.-Australia match, the network reverted to full-screen ads.
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Harvard alum Matt Freese took an unusual path to starting in goal for U.S. at World Cup
Playing in goal for the U.S. men’s national soccer team is a little like playing right field for the Yankees. You’re following a long line of great players, making the comparisons — and the high expectations — unavoidable.
Matt Freese is the latest to be thrown into that crucible. But he considers that pressure to be a privilege, not a problem.
“I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating, I would say it’s inspiring,” he said before the U.S. training session Tuesday morning in Irvine. “It’s a long line of goalkeepers that I’ve looked up to for my whole life — and there were some before my life as well.”
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‘A great vibe.’ Pacific Northwest joins Los Angeles in an embrace of World Cup fever
SEATTLE — Jaysen Dickinson flew to Seattle from Vermont to cross an item off his lengthy bucket list.
“To see the World Cup and the U.S. play in the World Cup,” he said.
Kim Fletcher and her 17-year-old son Kelan caught a 5 a.m. flight from Sacramento last week for the same reason.
“It’s a must-do right now,” she said.
They weren’t alone. Tens of thousands of people poured into Seattle on Friday morning for the U.S. team’s group-stage game with Australia, turning the Emerald City into a sea of red, white and blue. Some had tickets, most did not.
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FIFA’s reversal of red card after Trump phone call prompts international uproar
WASHINGTON — President Trump did not like what he saw. So, once again, he picked up the phone.
Trump said Monday that he called FIFA President Gianni Infantino after he disagreed with the World Cup referee who gave a red card to U.S. men’s soccer team star Folarin Balogun. The discipline, which Trump called “very unfair” and a “stain” on the World Cup, would have barred Balogun from playing in Monday’s elimination game against Belgium.
“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump told reporters during an event in the Oval Office. “I am good at this stuff. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled.”
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‘Why not us?’ How Mauricio Pochettino taught the U.S. to believe it could win a World Cup
A bowl of lemons sits on a table in the conference room Mauricio Pochettino has turned into an office at the U.S. men’s soccer team’s beachfront resort in south Orange County. The citrus fruit, the coach believes, has the spiritual ability to absorb negative energy. On the corner of another table, the flame from a candle flickers.
“I like candles,” says Pochettino, who believes they release therapeutic fragrances and create a calming environment.
But it is the massive, blood-red mural covering the entire south side of the room that truly reveals what Pochettino believes. In the center of the wall, just behind the coach’s desk, white block letters spell out “Why Not” above a script “U.S.,” which, despite the periods, is meant to be read as “us.”
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Commentary: World Cup shows MLS still needs to achieve major goals to grow the game
Remember when we were sure the World Cup would suffer from all the issues that had everyone seeing red before the first ball was kicked?
And remember when we were certain soccer could never catch on in this country?
Despite controversies over visas and ticket prices and transportation, and in spite of consternation over expansion and new rules, the game has, as usual, proved too good to fail.
And we, the American people, have become unusually engrossed in it.
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FIFA appeal committee rejects Belgium appeal, allowing Folarin Balogun to play
SEATTLE — The U.S. and Belgium met Monday in a World Cup elimination game overshadowed by controversy involving President Trump, FIFA leader Gianni Infantino and FIFA’s own byzantine rules, all of which played a role in allowing U.S. striker Folarin Balogun to start in the game even though he had been suspended.
Balogun was given a red card in the second half of the Americans’ win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday. A player who receives a red card is expelled from that match and suspended for at least the next game. The U.S. appealed both the red card and the suspension and were told the penalties would stand only to have FIFA reverse course Sunday, an exceedingly rare decision that cleared the way for Balogun, who leads the U.S. with three goals in the tournament, to play.
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For Sebastian Berhalter, a shot with the U.S. national team was well worth the wait
Some kids grow up with video games and summer camp. Sebastian Berhalter grew up with the World Cup.
He was 13 months old when his father, Gregg, played in the tournament for the first time and 5 when his dad was called back. And four years ago, when Sebastian was already a professional in his own right, he went to Qatar to watch his father coach the U.S. to the round of 16.
Yet none of that prepared the younger Berhalter for his own World Cup debut earlier this month.
“It’s ridiculous,” Sebastian said. “Before the game, I just kept chuckling to myself, like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ Literally I couldn’t believe it. Playing for my country, it’s the best feeling in the world.
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U.S. men piling up historic moments at World Cup, but focus is on the here and now
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Mauricio Pochettino’s team continues to do things in this summer’s World Cup that no U.S. team has ever done before.
Its three wins are the most in a single tournament. So are the 10 goals in four games. It has the best goal differential ever and its two shutouts ties a record.
Yet all that means absolutely nothing to the players.
“They’re great milestones,” captain Tim Ream said. “But I don’t think anybody’s even once mentioned the different things that we’re doing. We’re focused on what we’re doing daily on the training ground, because that puts us in the best possible position to to put these performances.
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‘Worth every penny’: This is how much fans spent to attend the World Cup in L.A.
“Do you have an extra ticket?” a man shouted outside SoFi Stadium last Thursday.
The World Cup has been drawing fans from around the globe. But for many, getting a seat in the stadium has come at a steep price.
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Some were lucky enough to nab $400 to $500 tickets through official World Cup lotteries, others paid thousands of dollars to catch the action IRL. Tickets for the upcoming USA versus Turkey match were selling for more than $1,400 on resale sites.
The demand has been so high that authorities have been warning fans about how to avoid ticket scams.
As crowds flocked into the stadium, we asked attendees about how much they paid to get into the most-watched sporting event in the world. Here’s what they shared.
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Diogo Jota honored by Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal after World Cup win a year after his death
Diogo Jota was with Portugal in spirit on the eve of the one-year anniversary of his death.
After the team’s dramatic 2-1 win over Croatia on Thursday in a World Cup knockout game, Portugal’s players posed for a group photo in the middle of the field at Toronto Stadium. Team captain Cristiano Ronaldo stood front and center, looking serious amid many beaming teammates and holding up a red No. 21 jersey in Jota’s honor.
Ronaldo then put on the shirt and became emotional as he slowly walked across the field acknowledging the cheers from the crowd.
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FIFA decision to rescind U.S. star Folarin Balogun’s suspension draws cheers and outrage
SEATTLE — FIFA made a dramatic discipline change for just the second time in its history, clearing the way for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun to play in Monday’s elimination game with Belgium.
The rare move drew celebration from the U.S. players who felt Balogun’s red card was unjust and drew outrage from the Belgium team and others protective of the integrity of the laws of soccer.
FIFA, the global governing body for soccer and the organizer of the World Cup, announced Sunday morning that the one-game suspension given to Balogun for a dangerous challenge that could have injured an opponent in last week’s win over Bosnia-Herzegovina would be held in abeyance, making him eligible to play in what is arguably the team’s most important game in at least a generation.
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Belgian federation to challenge FIFA’s decision to let Folarin Balogun play
The Belgian soccer federation wants an explanation from FIFA about a decision to let U.S forward Folarin Balogun play at the World Cup despite getting a red card in his previous game.
Belgium takes on the United States Monday for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The Belgian federation (RBFA) said it has still not received either “FIFA’s decision or any explanation regarding this matter. In these circumstances, it has no choice but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the upcoming match.”
It did not specify where it intends to appeal FIFA’s decision.
President Trump intervened on behalf of star U.S. forward Balogun, whose red-card suspension was lifted in a decision that allowed him to play against Belgium.
The Belgian federation said it learned through media reports about the FIFA’s move and sent a letter to the governing body requesting a copy of the decision as well as an explanation of the process.
“As its only response, FIFA sent a letter to the RBFA stating that it considered this correspondence to constitute an appeal, that a judge had been appointed, and that the RBFA had only a few hours to complete that appeal,” it said. “No information whatsoever was provided by FIFA.”
The RBFA insisted that FIFA’s regulations state that the reasoned decision must first have been communicated to the appellant.
“While the RBFA was merely seeking legitimate explanations, FIFA itself created an appeal and immediately ensured that it would be declared inadmissible,” it said. “All of this occurred while FIFA simultaneously refused to respond to the RBFA’s legitimate requests.”
Balogun, the star forward for the U.S. with three goals in the tournament, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday, triggering an automatic one-game suspension.
FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted for the round of 16 match, an extraordinary move that triggered praise from Trump and outrage from Belgium’s team. It appeared to be the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World Cup didn’t result in a suspension.
“Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defense of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole,” the Belgian federation added.
The FIFA decision drew criticism from the European Commission, the powerful executive arm of the European Union, which is based in Brussels.
Glenn Micallef, the European Union’s commissioner for sport, said that decisions “on sporting rules and sporting matters belong to sporting bodies, not politicians.”
“Influencing sporting decisions would undermine the autonomy of sport,” he wrote in a message on X. “Our focus should instead be on the real governance challenges facing sport, including the weaponization of sport for political purposes.”
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Mexico’s World Cup run ends in heartbreaking loss to England
England scores two goals in a two-minute span and overcomes a relentless Mexico attack after going down a player in a 3-2 World Cup round-of-16 win on Sunday.
England scores two goals in a two-minute span and overcomes a relentless Mexico attack after going down a player in a 3-2 World Cup round-of-16 win.
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2026 World Cup knockout round TV schedule, game previews and results
The round of 16 is nearly complete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with tournament co-hosts U.S., Canada and Mexico already eliminated.
Two games remain in the round of 16 before the quarterfinals begin Thursday.
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Looking back at the first 25 days of the World Cup
The first 25 days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup offered plenty of memorable moments.
Check out The Times’ daily recaps ahead of Monday’s two-game slate:
Live updates from Sunday’s knockout round games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 39-day tournament.
Live updates from Saturday’s knockout round games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 39-day tournament.
Live updates from Friday’s knockout round games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 39-day tournament.
Live updates from Thursday’s knockout round games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 39-day tournament.
England and Belgium rallied from early deficits and the U.S. held on despite a red card, winning Wednesday to clear the first World Cup knockout round.
Kylian Mbappé scored his fifth and sixth World Cup goals, leading France to a World Cup knockout round win Tuesday. Mexico and Norway also advanced.
Recapping Monday’s knockout-round wins by Brazil, Paraguay and Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Get the latest news, results and highlights.
Live updates from Canada vs. South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news and results as the knockout rounds begin.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Recapping Day 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
South Africa pulled off a stunning 1-0 win over South Korea Wednesday night, advancing to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.
Cristiano Ronaldo snapped out of his goal scoring slump to lead Portugal to a win, while Ghana held Harry Kane and England and Colombia rallied to beat Congo.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Recapping what happened at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Harry Kane tied a World Cup record during England’s win, Cristiano Ronaldo was held scoreless during a draw, Ghana stunned Panama and more during Day 7.
Stars Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi all scored while leading France, Norway and Argentina to wins on Day 6 of the 2026 World Cup.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team tournament.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Folarin Balogun scores twice and Christian Pulisic sets up two goals to lead the U.S. to a 4-1 win in its World Cup opener over Paraguay on Friday.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Mexico defeats South Africa 2-0 in a game that featured three red cards. Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored for Mexico in front of 80,824 fans.
