Belgium dismantled the United States 4-1 to book a quarterfinal showdown with Spain, powered by a ruthless display from Charles De Ketelaere and a commanding second-half performance from Rudi Garcia’s side.

The pre-match focus had been on Folarin Balogun’s surprise inclusion for the U.S. despite his red card in the previous outing, but once the whistle blew it was Belgium’s forwards who dictated the narrative. From the opening minute, Belgium imposed themselves, pressing high and forcing the Americans deep. A flurry of early pressure yielded a corner, setting the tone for a one-sided contest.

The breakthrough came in the ninth minute. Drifting off his marker, De Ketelaere timed his run perfectly to meet Nicolas Raskin’s low ball across the six-yard box, steering in a simple finish that underlined Belgium’s sharpness and the U.S. back line’s uncertainty.

Belgium then settled into a controlled rhythm, circulating possession through midfield and denying the U.S. any sustained spell on the ball. Yet, against the run of play, the Americans briefly clawed their way back. Balogun drew a foul in a rare foray forward, and Malik Tillman’s resulting free kick took a heavy deflection, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and leveling the score.

The reprieve was fleeting. Barely a minute after the restart, Leandro Trossard found space on the flank and whipped in a teasing cross. De Ketelaere attacked it with conviction, rising above his marker to power a close-range header into the net and restore Belgium’s lead almost instantly.

The U.S. emerged from halftime with renewed intent, pressing higher and trying to disrupt Belgium’s buildup. But their momentum evaporated with a calamitous error from goalkeeper Matt Freese, who lingered on the ball outside his box. De Ketelaere pounced, dispossessing him and squaring unselfishly for Hans Vanaken to roll in Belgium’s third.

From there, the Americans’ belief ebbed away. Belgium managed the tempo expertly, alternating between patient possession and incisive counters. The final blow came when Vanaken slipped a clever pass into Romelu Lukaku, who lashed a stunning finish from a tight angle to make it 4-1 and cap a statement victory.

With the win, Belgium advance to face Spain, who had earlier edged Portugal 1-0, setting up a heavyweight quarterfinal between two of Europe’s most technically gifted sides.